Honeymoon In Vegas
by EM79
Summary: JAM ahead you have been warned! TB CSI xover with X Files thrown in too. Sequel to Suffer The Children, probably best to read that first. Chapter 14 online finally. Please R&R and make my day! Rated M for many a reason!
1. Christening The Room

**_This is the sequel to Suffer The Children and for this I have tried something a little different, but it still might make more sense if you've read STC first!. Our ladies have taken a trip out of their usual surroundings and are honeymooning in Vegas. Along the way, they're going to meet Sara Sidle and Catherine Willows and possibly others from the Las Vegas Crime Lab. As always, I don't own Jo Masters or Sam Nixon, I'm just borrowing them from Talkback Thames and similarly, I don't claim to own any of the characters from CSI, that honour belongs to Jerry Bruckheimer and his cronies. I'm not making any profit out of them and I promise to return them, hopefully safe and fulfilled to their rightful owners just as soon as they've finished having fun!_**

_**So if you like what you read, feel free to leave me a review and if you don't well I guess you'd be free to leave me a review too, I can take it on the chin!**_

**_My final warning is that this will involve graphic sexual relationships between some lovely ladies so if that's not your cup of tea or you're not old enough to be reading this or whatever, please exit via the emergency doors right now! _**

_**Now all that's out of the way, if you're sitting comfortably, then I'll begin:

* * *

**_

**Honeymoon in Vegas**

"Are we going to do this properly? I mean do I have to carry you over the threshold of our room?" Jo grinned mischievously at Sam, pausing before the door to their hotel suite, keycard poised and ready to grant them entrance.

"I think it'd probably be safer for us both if we just walk in like normal people do!" The petite blonde reached for the card, sliding into the slot to be read before removing it again, pushing the handle down and opening the door. She gestured for Jo to enter, casually resting a hand on her wife's lower back as she sashayed past, feeling a thrill course through her body at the thought of being able to spend two weeks alone with Sam, with no distractions from work or from colleagues, friends and family. Ever since the start of their relationship, something had always interrupted their time together and whilst both women knew that would not change, they had been looking forward to spending this time together for months.

"Wow this is incredible!" Jo exclaimed breathlessly as she walked into the centre of the spacious, airy room, spinning around to face Sam with a beaming grin. "It looked nice in the brochure but this is… it's just… incredible!" The bubbly brunette found herself bordering on speechless, wondering not for the first time how she had come to be so lucky that she was spending her dream holiday with the most gorgeous woman on the planet. Sam took in the room in a single glance, sharing Jo's enthusiasm but it was the sight of her wife standing, an expression of such elation adorning her face, that made her pulse quicken and her breathing turn shallow.

"Let's investigate the quality of the beds on this side of the Atlantic shall we?" Sam purred in her customary husky growl, eyes darkening rapidly as her pupils dilated. The hunger in the petite blonde's expression provided a new focus for Jo's glee, her own eyes growing lustful as she watched Sam lean backwards on the door to close it. She stalked forwards, pinning the grinning Sam against the door.

"To hell with the bed!" Jo's lips descended on her wife's, swallowing down the feeble, half-hearted protests that the smaller woman offered. Sam felt her arousal flooding through her like a torrent, breaking the dam of her restraint and fuelling a burning desire to ravish the buxom brunette which had been simmering all through the long flight from London. Her nimble hands found their way inside Jo's flimsy vest top, caressing the twitching skin of her wife's stomach, feeling the thin sheen of sweat already gathering there.

Jo pressed Sam back against the door with her own body, feeling their curves mould together instinctively as she insinuated a thigh between the blonde's legs. She released Sam's mouth long enough to hiss her pleasure as she felt Sam's hands wandering none too gently over her skin, the muscles beneath her flesh leaping and contracting at the intimate contact. She shrugged out of the already unbuttoned white cotton shirt she had worn, reaching for the hem of the lime green vest top she had worn beneath it and tearing it off over her head hurriedly. Sam's mouth descended immediately on the newly revealed expanse of flesh, suckling and kissing at the smooth swell of Jo's breasts above the line of her bra, watching with satisfaction as her partner's nipples hardened instantly, straining against their thin cotton restraints. Jo rested her weight on her hands either side of Sam's head, bracing herself against the door as her legs trembled beneath Sam's oral assault. She looked down, the sight of Sam's head bent to her body spurring her into action. She lowered her own head, capturing the tender flesh of Sam's neck between her lips, lavishing it with attention, feeling the blonde head roll sideways to allow her better access. Sam began to push her groin down onto Jo's thigh, riding it eagerly as she sought the friction she desperately craved.

Jo hurriedly unbuttoned Sam's pale blue blouse, pushing the edges apart and cupping her breasts in her palms, squeezing them and brushing her thumbs across solid erect nipples, drawing a gasp of pleasure from her wife. She felt Sam's own hands busily unbuckling the belt holding Jo's tight black jeans around her slim waist. The brunette turned her own attention to Sam's lower half, unzipping the fastening of her cream trousers and slipping a hand inside, seeking out the welcoming wet heat between Sam's legs. She felt an intense bolt of electricity jolt through her as Sam's hands flew to her shoulders, leaning heavily on them for support. Knowing her lover well enough to know she could take no more teasing, Jo plunged two fingers deep inside Sam's core without further delay, curling them into her and stroking the hypersensitive ridge of flesh on their way out before pushing them back inside deeper than before. Sam raised one leg with Jo's help to rest on the taller woman's hip, granting her freer access as the wanton blonde shamelessly rode Jo's hand pumping in and out of her furiously. Jo watched Sam's face grow ever more flushed, eyes barely open and lips parted as her breath escaped in tiny gasps. She felt her own abdominal muscles contract at the sight before her, the wonder of being able to reduce an ordinarily coherent woman to a simpering puddle of liquid a more powerful aphrodisiac than any other she could imagine. Sam's hips bucked frantically, grinding out her pleasure and prolonging the contact of each of Jo's thrusts for as long as possible. Jo captured Sam's kiss swollen lips for another bone melting kiss just as she pressed her thumb down hard on Sam's aching clit, rubbing roughly in a circular motion and feeling Sam's whole body tense up. After only a few more seconds, Sam became rigid in Jo's arms, burying her head in the brunette's shoulder and allowing her ecstatic cries to be swallowed up by the naked flesh she found there. Jo kept her fingers entombed within Sam, the tight muscles clamped hard around them. As Sam regained her bearings somewhat, Jo took her by surprise, recommencing the pumping action she had stilled moments earlier, leaning down to capture one of Sam's nipples, still encased in her satin bra, between her teeth, rolling and teasing it. Sam whimpered, not sure if she could withstand another orgasm so soon after the first intense one but helpless in the face of Jo's renewed onslaught. Her head began to spin as she hyperventilated, her breath coming in short gasps, her blood pounding furiously through her veins. She lost all awareness of time and space, only seeing Jo, only feeling her fingers and mouth working her body meticulously as she sought to bring her to another earth-shattering climax and then she was aware of nothing but bliss as her body convulsed and her breath was stolen from her lungs.

Jo carried Sam to the bed, gently laying her on top of it, slightly concerned by the lack of response from her wife. She had come close on a few occasions, but never had she actually made a lover pass out during sex. She checked Sam's neck for a pulse, finding one thudding healthily, if still a little rapidly, beneath the smooth sweat-slicked skin. Jo struggled for a few moments, undressing Sam's uncooperative body before shedding her own remaining garments and climbing onto the bed beside her slumbering wife and cuddling up beside her. The brunette let out a sigh of relief as Sam stirred, turning onto her side and burrowing her head into the crook of Jo's shoulder. As her consciousness and her strength returned, Sam began to kiss the skin most easily accessible to her lips, along Jo's prominent collar-bone right the way from the shoulder she was huddled against to the hollow at the base of Jo's throat. She felt Jo's hand drift up to the back of her head, encouraging her higher. Sam needed no second invitation, pulling herself up to claim Jo's lips with her own, hands beginning to wander over Jo's gloriously naked body. As they broke the kiss, both in desperate need of air, Sam grinned at the woman she had pledged her life to.

"I think you might have just met your match given your promise on our wedding night. I don't think there's any way to beat that orgasm!" Jo's laugh was throaty, her face flushed as images of Sam in the throes of passion sprung to mind.

"But it will be fun trying!" she retorted kissing the tip of Sam's nose. "That's never happened before, I have to admit. Are you ok?" The two women shifted slightly, Jo pulling Sam's body most of the way on top of her and relishing in the feel of their flesh pressing against one another with no barriers.

"It's never happened to me before either but I'm fine. I might have to wait a while before I'm ready for round three but other than feeling weary, I've never been better." Sam traced a hand across Jo's hip, raising her knee slightly and pressing her thigh closer to the heat she could feel emanating from the apex of Jo's own legs, feeling the abundant moisture gathered there.

"Sam, you're exhausted, you should rest for a while." Jo muttered between clenched teeth as she fought to keep herself from reversing their positions and ravishing the body she couldn't seem to get enough of.

"Just have a bit of business to attend to, then I'll sleep." The blonde rejoined, her hand wandering inwards from the hip it had been caressing, her own juices mingling with Jo's as the brunette's hands clutched her pert buttocks pulling their groins closer together.

"Keep doing that and round three might come sooner than you think." Jo groaned, knowing she would be unable to hold back her desire for much longer. As much as she loved Sam touching her, she was currently gripped by an all consuming passion to bring her lover as much pleasure as was humanly possible.

"Uh-uh Mrs Masters-Nixon, now it's your turn. Unless you're too tired. If you want me to stop, just say the word?" Sam offered wondering if the journey had taken more out of Jo than she had claimed, knowing the flight had been long for them both, Sam fortunate enough to sleep for a while in the air.

"I'm not that tired, really. My whole body is on fire and aching for you so I somehow doubt sleep would be soon in coming if we stopped now. But we do have our whole lives ahead of us to enjoy this, it doesn't have to be everything right now. If you're that tired Sam, sleep a while." Jo admitted as she felt Sam's fingers tangle in her damp triangle of hair at the juncture of her thighs, gritting her teeth in anticipation of Sam's expert fingers reaching their goal.

"Mmm-hmm, we do have a long time ahead of us for this," Sam murmured dreamily, toying with Jo as she traced her outer lips, drawing back whenever Jo's hips aimed to rise off the bed and deepen the contact. "But you've had more experience so I guess that means I need all the practice I can get to perfect the art like you have and there's no time like the present to start." Sam teased her wife, lips hovering just above Jo's jaw, just out of reach. The blonde watched Jo swallow convulsively, trying to work some moisture back into her mouth but it seemed there was a drought in all but one area of her mutinous body.

"Sam…" She heard her name hissed out between gritted teeth as her fingertips dipped into the thick silky liquid seeping in copious amounts from Jo's core. She coated her fingers liberally with her lover's juices before plunging them deep inside the hot, tight opening, eliciting a sharp gasp from the woman writhing blissfully beneath her. Sam curled her fingers as Jo had taught her to do, seeking out that one elusive spot which would heighten the brunette's pleasure. After a few unsuccessful attempts, Sam had swiftly discovered its location and was already adept at finding it first time, this being no exception. As her fingertips drifted over the ridge of flesh, Jo's knee bent, bringing her thigh into contact with Sam's own throbbing centre. Both women inhaled deeply, restraint thrown to the wind in their eagerness to drive each other over the edge. Jo's hands kneaded Sam's buttocks as she guided her against her thigh, encouraging the blonde to ride it and pleasure herself even as she continued to stroke Jo's internal walls, her mouth descending onto Jo's breasts as she feasted hungrily on her lover. The combination of oral and physical stimulation brought Jo closer to her own orgasm. She felt muscles turning to rock, her hands leaving Sam's ass to clutch convulsively at the bedclothes beneath her. "Oh… ungh Sam… yeah…" Jo panted breathlessly, helpless beneath the other woman's ministrations. Sam gently massaged Jo's clit as she continued to drive her fingers deep inside her core and suckle on her sensitive nipples. Jo arched off the bed despite Sam's weight balanced mostly on top of her, bucking and crying out as her inner walls clamped down on Sam's fingers. The impish blonde allowed the muscles to loosen off before retrieving her fingers, deliberately licking them clean before Jo's cloudy eyes, her enjoyment obvious. Jo made a grab for the smaller woman but Sam used her advantage of pinning Jo down to outmanoeuvre her, slithering sensuously down her body until her head rested between Jo's thighs. Before the brunette could offer any resistance, Sam latched her mouth onto Jo's netherlips, drinking in every last drop of juice which flowed from her, pulling the oversensitive bundle of nerve endings into her mouth when she was sure Jo could stand no more teasing and sucking on it powerfully, grazing it with her teeth to ensure Jo was sent spiralling over the edge of another orgasm. Powerful thighs slammed shut around Sam's head and Jo felt the diminutive blonde smile against her centre, pleased with the results of her efforts. Jo's legs eased back as she regained control of her muscles, her body limp and drained of energy. Sam crawled back up the bed curling into her lover's side with a contented sigh.

"I do believe we're now even – for the moment at least!" Sam cast a self-satisfied smile in Jo's direction.

"Count yourself lucky my bones are now made of jelly, otherwise I'd make you pay for being such a smart-arse! Believe me, you'll get your just desserts later." Jo mumbled, moulding herself to Sam's body, marvelling as always at the feeling of belonging she found there.

"Ooooh promises, promises. Sounds to me like we'd better get underneath this duvet and get some sleep, I have a feeling we're going to need to replenish our energy for later." Sam guided Jo upright long enough to pull the covers back and slide them both into the welcoming warmth of the queen-sized bed. Neither woman needed much persuasion to succumb to their need for sleep, entwined in one another's arms and, for the moment, sated.


	2. Feeding The Beast

Sam awoke in the same position she had fallen asleep in; one arm slung territorially across Jo's midriff, a leg casually draped between the brunette's own, head resting in the crook of her shoulder and Jo's own arms wrapped protectively around her wife. The sky was dark outside, or at least it was beyond the neon glow that illuminated Las Vegas by night. Raising her head, Sam squinted at the clock beside the bed trying to see what time it was, her stomach telling her that mealtime had been and gone some hours ago. She groaned as she managed to bring the display into focus. It was close to midnight, quickly calculating the maths in her head she figured that it was roughly four in the afternoon back home. She let her head drop back onto its human pillow, the movement causing Jo to stir and pull Sam closer to her, automatically seeking out her lips even in her semi-slumbering state.

"Go back to sleep baby, it's still the middle of the night." Sam whispered tenderly, brushing a stray lock of Jo's auburn hair from her face and granting herself an unrestricted view of Jo's angelic beauty brought about by sleep. Jo grinned as Sam's stomach growled alerting everyone within a five mile radius of her hunger.

"I think that beast in your belly has other ideas!" The brunette murmured drowsily, her sleepy grin creeping further across her face.

"I'll call for room service, get something sent up, we can't go out now it's too late." Sam protested not yet ready to leave to comfortable circle of Jo's arms.

"This is Vegas honey, the city that never sleeps. Pick anything you can imagine wanting to eat and you'll find somewhere serving it no matter what time of the day or night it is!" Jo smoothed a hand across Sam's naked back, loving the feeling of toned muscles and silky skin beneath her palm.

"Well maybe I'm just not ready to let you cover up this delectable body of yours just yet!" Sam retorted, Jo's casual caress stirring glowing embers deep within her and sparking her desire afresh. She captured Jo's lips for a searing kiss, tongues duelling as they danced together between Jo's mouth and Sam's own. The blonde allowed her hands to wander wherever they chose to, running amok over the gentle swell of ample breasts, taking in the angular curves of Jo's hips, reading every notch in the brunette's ribs as though they were a Braille message designed only for Sam's deciphering, leaving no area untouched until she felt she could see Jo in her entirety just through the sensations on her fingertips. Jo felt her own arousal ignited once again by her wife's thorough ministrations. Her own hands began to trace a path over Sam's feverish skin, sliding down to toned buttocks before following the curve of her hip and teasing the inside of sensitive thighs. She rolled over, pushing Sam onto her back and hovering above her, suddenly wide awake and concerned only with one form of hunger. Sam fought against the hands that were pinning her to the bed, her own need to kiss and caress the brunette's pale skin driving her to the brink of insanity. The diminutive blonde gasped for breath as Jo's head lowered slowly to her breast, drawing as much of the sensitive orb into her mouth as possible as she licked, kissed and sucked the pliant flesh occasionally grazing the taut nipple with her teeth.

"So beautiful…" Jo murmured into the skin beneath her lips, the words vibrating through Sam's body and sending a tingling salute to her aching core.

"I need to touch you, please Jo…" Sam begged, her hands gripping Jo's tightly where they were entwined on the pillow either side of Sam's head. Jo continued her oral assault as though she had not heard Sam's plea, switching to the other breast and matching her previous actions as Sam continued to squirm and writhe beneath her. "Oh… uh… Jo please!" Sam rasped as her wife's mouth began to descend across her smooth stomach, tongue briefly dipping into her navel teasingly before continuing further on down.

"Let me take care of you then you can touch me all you want." Jo murmured looking up briefly and holding Sam's gaze, the trust and desire reflected there melting her insides which oozed out coating her thighs in a sudden gush as abdominal muscles contracted and breathing became impossible. The expression of surprise on Jo's face momentarily concerned Sam.

"What is it? Are you ok?" Jo pulled herself further back up the bed to capture Sam's lips drawing one of her hands down to the apex of her thighs.

"I'm more than ok. Feel what you do to me with just one look." She pressed Sam's palm against the wetness still seeping from her. "You don't even have to touch me to make me come." Sam blushed at Jo's words, feeling her own wetness increase tenfold with the admission that Jo had climaxed without even being touched, the result of Sam's presence alone. She buried her fingers in the welcoming wet warmth, easing two fingers into Jo's tight opening before the brunette could object. Jo hissed a breath out between clenched teeth at the invasion, fearing that she would smother Sam at any moment, convinced her arm could not support her weight much longer under such expert ministrations.

"You are the sexiest person I've ever met, did I ever tell you that? I can't get enough of you; your body, your mind, the whole package. I want to live forever if it means I get to spend it with you." Sam spoke earnestly as she pumped her fingers back and forth inside Jo's hot tight cocoon. Jo slumped onto her side, pulling Sam with her until they were lying facing one another, Sam's fingers still buried deep within Jo. With the hand she had now freed, no longer needing to support herself on it, Jo nudged Sam's thighs apart, tracing her fingers around Sam's own drenched core. Agonisingly slowly she approached Sam's entrance, feeling the muscles contract and expand in readiness for her penetration. Locking her gaze with Sam's heavy lidded own, Jo tenderly slipped one finger inside as far as the first knuckle, teasing her lover mercilessly, smiling as Sam's own rhythm faltered slightly.

"Forever is a long time, are you sure you can put up with me that long?" Jo enquired, one eyebrow quirked in humour.

Relishing in the sensations being created by Jo's careful actions, Sam responded, "keep that up and forever won't be anywhere near long enough!" Jo entered Sam fully on hearing the hint of desperation creeping into her voice, matching the rhythm that her wife had found within her and urging Sam on to oblivion as the blonde continued her efforts with renewed vigour. Both women felt their muscles clamping down hard around the fingers inside of them as they pumped furiously, swallowing the cries of ecstasy with a long, deep kiss, mindful of the paper-thin walls of the hotel. As the waves of their joint orgasm subsided, Sam's stomach reasserted its need for food, growling ravenously and making both women laugh out loud.

Jo bent her head, lightly kissing the rumbling organ, speaking gently to the objecting acids, "ok, you win for now, I'll take her out for some food!" Sam was struck for a moment with how tender the moment was, imaging Jo speaking to her belly under other, more productive circumstances. She wondered if it was just Abi's announcement that was making her so broody or whether it could be attributed to how perfect her life felt with Jo that the natural progression seemed to involve a child of their own. Jo looked up grinning, seeing the faraway look in Sam's misty eyes and moving to her side immediately, concerned. "Hey, you ok?"

"Yeah, just me being silly, ignore me. I spied a sunken bathtub in the bathroom, care to join me in testing it out?" Sam shrugged off Jo's concern, not sure how the brunette would take her thoughts. Jo considered pushing Sam for an explanation but decided that she really didn't want to ruin the mood and so would let Sam talk about whatever was on her mind in her own time.

"Hmm sounds like it could be a rather rewarding endeavour." Jo winked before slipping out of the bed and making her way into the lavish bathroom to run the bath. She perched on the edge of the sunken tub, her hand trailing beneath the running water, her mind wandering through the events of the last twelve months trying to pinpoint the exact moment her life had changed so dramatically. It seemed that one minute she had been stuck in a relationship that was neither fulfilling nor bringing her joy, fast reaching stalemate with her job having been a DC for more years than she cared to remember and hopelessly infatuated with a straight female colleague who showed few signs of liking her on even the most basic level of friendship. And then Tessa had disappeared. Jo had feared the worst, her anxiety increasing as the days wore on with no contact from the woman she realised she still cared for deeply even if she was no longer in love with her. Just as her hopes faded, her errant lover had been found, alive and well and missing of her own volition. But there had been no apology, no remorse for putting Jo through such an agonising ordeal, just a crushing revelation that not only had the woman been cheating on her but was pregnant by her new male lover. Looking back, Jo realised that it was the best thing Tessa had ever done for her, in a strange and masochistic kind of way. Inadvertently, Tessa had abolished the frosty wedge that had been erected between Jo and Sam giving them both a new opportunity for happiness. The brunette found she could think about her ex without any twinge of pain or regret now, solely thanks to Sam's patient love and support. She wondered if Tessa had had the baby, how she was coping with motherhood and whether things might have turned out differently had Jo been able to give Tessa the child she wanted. Her thoughts turned to Sam and Abi and the family she had been welcomed into with open arms, the maternal instincts that flooded through her every time she held Joey in her arms and her surprise at the flash of jealousy which shot through her core when listening to Abi's announcement yesterday – well technically the day before yesterday since it was now after midnight in Las Vegas.

Sam watched Jo from her vantage point in the doorway, the brunette completely lost in her own thoughts and unaware of the world at large around her. It gave Sam a rare chance to study her in repose, no masks or guards in place to protect her. Despite their closeness, there was still so much Sam felt she didn't know about the gorgeous brunette, a situation she hoped to rectify during their fortnight alone. When Jo had admitted to Sam that she had once fallen pregnant and been forced to endure the most horrific of backstreet abortions, the blonde had been rocked to the core, not just by the knowledge but by the weary resignation in Jo's voice as she admitted that bearing her own child may no longer be possible. As the water grew closer to the top of the tub, Sam interrupted her wife's quiet musing.

"You're too good to me, you know that?" Crossing the short distance, Sam used her unusual height advantage to pull Jo's head to her chest, dropping a tender kiss into the soft auburn locks.

"There's no such thing as too good." Jo quipped in response, sweeping Sam off her feet and lowering her into the waiting sud-filled tub, before slipping beneath the water herself so lithely she barely disturbed the surface.

"This feels almost too perfect to be real." Sam sighed contentedly as she moulded her frame along the length of Jo's body, relishing the in feel of her slick, water-coated skin against her own naked flesh.

"Only almost? Hmm I'll have to see what I can do about that." Jo grinned lowering her mouth to capture Sam's kiss-swollen lips once again, tenderly tracing their outline with the tip of her tongue.

"I thought we were supposed to be getting cleaned up ready to feed the beast in my belly?" Sam quirked an eyebrow, her protestations half-hearted since she felt sure she could live on Jo's kisses alone if the need arose.

"Well as your wife, it's my duty to make sure every inch of your skin is thoroughly cleaned. What sort of spouse would I be if I took you out in public still dirty?" Jo teased as her hands massaged soap into every inch of Sam's skin, taking extra care to lavish attention on her sensitive breasts.

"You're incorrigible!" Sam moaned as Jo's hands dipped lower, seeking out her delicate bundle of nerves. Her own hands came to rest on Jo's broad shoulders, gripping them reflexively as deft digits found their target expertly, parting her lips and allowing the warm water to flow around the engorged flesh as one fingertip circled the aching ridge teasingly.

"So I've been told." Jo admitted with a wry grin. She liberally painted Sam's nether lips with the sweet juice flowing freely from her wife's core, spreading the moisture and massaging her engorged clit, milking it gently but with quiet determination, eyes locked into Sam's incredibly blue own. Sam's thigh pushed against Jo's centre, colliding with her most sensitive spot and encouraging the brunette to seek her own release even as she tenderly guided Sam towards the edge. The women lost themselves in their lust, water carelessly sloshing onto the tiled bathroom floor as they writhed together in the tub, lips clashing as wave after wave of ecstasy washed over them. As peace returned and silence reigned aside from their heavy breaths, Sam's stomach reasserted itself again, as though it was a sentient entity aware that if they continued on this path, food would be a long time coming. Accepting that there was something her wife need more than repeated good loving at that moment, Jo stilled her wandering hands placing a tender kiss on Sam's lips with a quiet promise to continue what she had begun after finding something to eat.

* * *

"That was, quite possibly, one of the best meals I've ever had!" Sam gushed, hooking her arm through Jo's as they strolled the few blocks back to their hotel, needing the walk to burn off some of the calories they had just ingested.

"It certainly did hit the spot." Jo leant stilled Sam, leaning down to place an ear to her stomach and listening intently before straightening up with a grin. "Seems like your inner monster agrees too, she's purring like a kitten." Sam playfully punched Jo's arm, grinning back at her before reinstating her arm where it had been threaded through Jo's and continuing their late night walk, content to wander in silence, just comfortable in her wife's company. They rounded the corner approaching the front of their hotel, both their mouths dropping open at the sight before them.

"What the…" Sam exclaimed as she took in the yellow police tape marking out a crime scene and the numerous squad cars adding to the neon glow with their own flashing light show. Jo groaned and rolled her eyes, wondering if they would ever get to spend any time together without some incident getting in the way.


	3. Identity Unknown

"Brass, what've we got?" Catherine Willows climbed from the Tahoe before it had fully come to a halt, leaving her colleague, Sara Sidle, to turn off the ignition and grab her kit before following the older Crime Scene Investigator.

"Body of a young woman, looks to be in her early to mid thirties. Seems to have come from up there," the police captain motioned towards the upper floors of the hotel with his flashlight. Both women's eyes followed his line of sight, their gazes whizzing past thirteen storeys of the Mandalay Bay Hotel. Catherine heard Sara whistle quietly as her keen brown eyes settled on the remains of what had once been a floor to ceiling window surrounding the body of their latest victim.

"Do we have an ID yet? Anyone else in the room with her?" The tall, slender brunette asked dragging her eyes away from the corpse and locking them onto the police captain.

"No ID but we haven't checked the body yet, thought we'd better wait for you to show. No sign of anyone else in the room. Current occupants are registered as a Mrs Samantha Nixon-Masters and a Mrs Joanne Masters-Nixon." Two sets of eyebrows shot up at the unusual double-barrelled surnames. "They're here from England on honeymoon apparently." Brass supplied.

"So which bride got kicked out of bed?" Catherine asked, tucking her strawberry blonde hair behind one ear before crouching next to the lifeless body. "Sara, call Grissom and see if Nick and Warrick are back yet, we're going to need more bodies to process this scene. When you're done, get up to the hotel room. I'll deal with the body." Sara pulled out her cell phone, flipping the front of the clam shell phone up violently, wondering what it was exactly about Catherine Willows that irritated the life out of her so easily. The woman was technically her superior so it wasn't like Sara had any grounds for being pissed with her issuing orders but it was her tone of voice that grated on the defensive brunette's nerves; condescending and supercilious. Sara was still lost in her mutinous thoughts as she punched speed dial one on her tiny handset, listening to the shrill ringing at the other end and imagining Gil Grissom clearing away enough of his latest bug experiment to find his telephone.

"Grissom?" A gruff voice answered startling Sara from her reverie.

"Gris, it's Sara, any chance of Nick and Warrick lending us a hand here?"

"They're still out in the desert at the moment. I can send Greg out if you like? Best I can do I'm afraid." There was vaguely teasing tone to the supervisor's voice, knowing how embarrassed Sara felt around the young CSI whose adoration for her was obvious even to a man with stunted social skills.

"Ok, fine, send him over." Sara's professionalism never let her personal feelings stand in the way of the thorough processing of a crime scene so she opted for minimal temporary discomfort over missing vital evidence. Besides, Greggo's company had to beat Catherine's any day of the week.

Catherine raised her head watching Sara's profile as she spoke quietly into the phone, face expressionless as was the way with Sara. Only when she was facing you straight on and you could look her in the eye could you ever get even the barest hint of what was going on inside that thick head of hers. The strawberry blonde woman doubted she had ever met anyone who made such an effort to close themselves off from their feelings. Grissom was an emotional void but that came naturally to him; with the young brunette it seemed more of a defence mechanism, a conscious decision aimed at protecting herself from potential pain.

"So what's the verdict? Are we getting help?" Catherine purred from her crouched position by the fresh corpse, realising with a sigh that Sara wasn't about to volunteer the information.

"Of sorts." Sara replied, continuing only when Catherine raised one eyebrow in silent question, a stony glare adorning her attractive features. "Greg's the only one available at the moment. He's on his way over." Sara steadied the digital camera in her hand, lining up a shot of the corpse in situ before anything was disturbed.

"Well, there'll be plenty of CCTV footage for him to plough through, that should keep him out of trouble." The older woman retorted, not in the mood to puppywalk the newest addition to the team through what had the potential to be a tricky case. It wasn't often that the CSI's had to deal with tourist deaths, especially not oversees tourists and she had a suspicion that before the case was closed it could turn into a media circus.

* * *

"What's going on? When will we be allowed back into the hotel?" Sam questioned a harassed looking young officer who was trying to maintain a cordon away from the crime scene.

"Are you a guest here, Ma'am?" The handsome officer asked her, his mouth creasing in a faint grin at her accent.

"Yes, my wife and I checked in earlier today. All our belongings are in there, passports, tickets home, everything, so I'd appreciate it if someone could tell me what's going on? Why are we not allowed inside?" Sam persisted, trying to see around the muscular bulk of the dark-haired man barring their way. She watched his gaze sweep over Jo's toned body, feeling an irrational urge to stand in front of her and protect her from his visual probing.

"I'm afraid you'll have a long wait Ma'am. There's a serious crime been committed here tonight. If I can take your names I'll get someone from the hotel to come talk to you about alternative arrangements for accommodation tonight," he offered, thinking that this woman was more restrained than most of his fellow countryfolk would have been in the same situation.

"Samantha Nixon-Masters and Joanne Masters-Nixon. We're staying in room 1327." The petite blonde informed him, sinking back into Jo's embrace as she felt the brunette slide an arm around her waist. Watching the dashing young officer turn away and search for a member of the hotel staff, Sam rhetorically asked, "why does something always have to happen?"

"Let's just be patient and let them get on with their jobs sweetheart, there's plenty of time before we have to go home." Jo murmured sharing her wife's disappointment, still weary from the long flight and their earlier exertions and wanting nothing more than to curl up in bed for at least eight hours. She dropped a tender kiss onto the blonde head tucked beneath her chin, content at least to know that this time both of them were safe and uninvolved in whatever drama was unfolding.

"Mrs Nixon-Masters?" A distinguished looking man approached Jo and Sam, looking from one to the other for confirmation of an identity, holding a warrant card out in front of him.

"That's me." Sam was immediately defensive, wondering what the officer had said to warrant them being questioned by a detective.

"And I take it you are Mrs Masters-Nixon?" The man directed at Jo, eyes sweeping down to their entwined hands but passing on with no more than a casual interest.

"That's right. What's going on? Why the interest in us?" Jo's curiosity got the better of her, questions pouring forth from her lips before she could halt them.

"I'm Captain Jim Brass with the Las Vegas PD, I'd like to ask you a few questions, if I may?" The police captain continued, acting oblivious to the interrogation Jo was levelling at him. Receiving two curt nods in response to his own question, he continued, "you're registered as staying in room 1345, why did you tell my officer that you're in room 1327?"

"When we arrived earlier, the desk clerk said there'd been some mix up, that our room was double booked so he moved us to another room on the same floor. All our belongings are in room 1327, feel free to check." Sam provided, still not seeing the relevance.

"What time did you check into the hotel?" Brass continued, aware of the two puzzled expressions he was receiving but too jaded by his years on the job to take them at face value.

"Erm, I'm guessing it must have been around one thirty, maybe closer to two o'clock. We went up to our room, once we had the mix up sorted out and slept until midnight. I don't mean to be rude but before we answer anything more about our whereabouts and movements, what is this all about? I'm sure you're not questioning every guest in the hotel in this much detail." Sam pressed, feeling Jo squeeze her arm lightly as a warning to take it easy.

"Earlier tonight, a young woman fell to her death from the window of room 1345, a room that is still registered in your names so I'd appreciate your full co-operation." The police captain responded curtly.

"Oh… geez… uh… of course, that's awful. What do you need from us? We're both police officers back in England, anything you need to know, we'll tell you." Jo spoke for them both, wondering if it was something about them that made death such a constant companion. Sam wrapped an arm tighter around her wife's waist, shivering slightly despite the hot stillness of the night. Absentmindedly, Jo hugged the petite woman to her side, rubbing her arms lightly to ease her discomfort. Brass watched the silent exchange keenly, trying to spot any telltale signs of deception but try as he might, he could find none.

"Where did you go when you woke up?" He drove straight to the point, needing to know if the two Brits had a viable alibi.

"We went for dinner, well supper I suppose really, at La Cienda, a couple of blocks from here – I don't know the name of the road, I'm sorry. We only arrived here today, we're not really familiar with the area." Jo stated apologetically, still clinging to Sam as though she were drawing life straight from her.

"That's ok, I know it. Nice place." Brass offered them a small smile which was returned tightly by both women. "If I got you to take a look at the hotel staff, would you be able to pick out the clerk who registered your arrival? Maybe he can shed some light on who was actually in that room tonight." Brass raised the tape separating the crime scene from the rapidly gathering crowd, indicating that the women should follow him.

"We spent about half an hour discussing the finer points of hotel management with him! I should think we could pick him out in a crowd. Besides, he was kind of striking looking, not really one to blend in." Sam recalled, having been struck by how the blueness of his eyes stood out against his olive skin and dark hair.

* * *

Sara picked her way through the chaotic room, her mind piecing together the details of the night's events from what she saw; bed clothes obviously having seen some heavy use, two wine glasses on the bedside cabinets, both with lipstick coating their rims and dregs of red wine in them, handcuffs hanging limply from the headboard. Sara felt a devilish grin creep across her face as she photographed everything, thinking that this must have been a wild honeymoon but soon sobering as she reached the gaping hole that had been a window. Cautiously, she peered out, planting her feet solidly to prevent herself from toppling out. She clicked a couple of hurried photos, hoping that they came out sufficiently but feeling too vulnerable on the edge with her back to the room, despite an officer being posted outside the door. Turning back into the room she began the arduous task of collecting all the evidence, every fibre, every bodily fluid and every fingerprint. She paused, frowning as she concentrated, studying the arm chair at the foot of the bed, thinking that it was placed a little too perfectly. There was a nagging sensation that she couldn't quite place as she photographed it, leaning closer to examine the arms having spied some sort of residue on the wood. Zooming in as far as the lens would allow, the studious CSI snapped a shot of the remains of adhesive stubbornly sticking to the arms, carefully teasing out the fabric remnants betraying that someone had been bound to the chair. Her attention drifted to the rest of the chair, noting the rapidly drying stain on the main body of the seat. Placing the camera carefully on the floor beside her, she crouched down and took a swab of the stain, the aroma emanating from the area as she drew level giving rise to a suspicion that it was urine. Just to be thorough though, Sara tested a new swab for other bodily fluids, unsurprised when the results for semen and blood were negative. She made a mental note to arrange for the chair to be taken back to the lab for further analysis. The lanky brunette allowed her gaze to drift across the room towards the tall wardrobe built into the entry hall of the room. Noticing a dark smudge on the door just below the handle, Sara crossed to stand in front of it. Clicking away with her camera once again, Sara collected a sample of the substance, securing it and stowing it in her pocket before dusting the door handle for fingerprints. She carefully retrieved the partial which became apparent on application of the fine black dust, again securing the evidence in an envelope before cautiously opening the door, braced in case there was someone lurking inside ready to attack. As her eyes fell on the crumpled form inside, she fumbled for her cell phone, rapidly dialling Catherine's number.

"What've you got, Sara?" Catherine answered abruptly having been engrossed in collecting fibres from their victim's body when the shrill ringing of her phone had interrupted her concentration.

"I've got another body up here." Sara informed her colleague, her usual casual drawl more pronounced then normal betraying her anxiety.


	4. Two for One

"He's not here, I don't see him anywhere." Sam barked frustratedly as Captain Brass had them visually sweep the gathered staff one more time.

"No, he's definitely not among these staff. Are any of them missing? Anyone who was rostered on this afternoon but not here now maybe? Do they keep photos of their staff on file or anything, maybe we could identify him from there?" Jo concurred with her wife, offering suggestions to show that the police still had their full co-operation.

"I'll ask them. You two stay put." Both women nodded, not having the energy or the inclination to wander off and incriminate themselves.

* * *

"I'm calling Grissom, we need everyone on this case. I don't care if he has to drag the dayshift in to help, we need bodies." Catherine muttered, thinking of the implications of two British tourists dying on their first night in Vegas.

"I think more bodies are the last thing we need Catherine!" Sara dead-panned, hoping to ease the tension slightly, hating seeing the strawberry blonde CSI so fraught. She knew this case had just gone from being routine to being a potential political time-bomb, but their job was simply to collect the evidence to the best of their ability, regardless of the circumstances or implications of what they might find. The body of their first victim was on the way to the morgue already and Catherine had joined Sara in the hotel room. Both women stood back inspecting the second body, crammed into far too small a space to have been manageable without some serious muscular assistance. Catherine turned to her colleague about to whip back a snide barb but paused as she watched small frown lines crease the tall brunette's brow.

"What are you thinking? Murder/suicide? Wife number one offs wife number two and hides her in the wardrobe then can't live with what she's done so jumps out of the window?" Catherine queried, sounding out possible scenarios.

"I'm not sure a woman would be capable of this, not if she cared about the victim." Sara's voice was soft, as though her consciousness was elsewhere, seeing something Catherine couldn't. "This is brutal, bones have to have been broken to fit her in here."

"I'm not sure I entirely agree. The pillowcase over her head suggests the killer was unable to face her, he or she needed to depersonalise her to do this to her. That smacks of someone who knew her. And if she is one of our English guests, that pretty much narrows the field to her wife given the length of time she'd been in Vegas." Catherine suggested, taking in the rest of the room which was covered in a fine layer of fingerprint dust and other evidence collecting substances from Sara's kit.

"Not if it was put over her head to suffocate her. We don't know cause of death yet, let's wait on the post-mortem results before we try and come to any conclusions. As Grissom always says, we have to follow the evidence." Sara retorted angling her flashlight into the dark recesses of the confined space the second body had been crammed into. "Do you think one person could have done this alone? I mean she's not a tiny woman, she gotta weigh, what, a hundred forty pounds? Dead weight, that's gonna take some shifting." Sara shone the torch beam onto the underside of woman's arm, bent at a highly unnatural angle beneath her legs. "There's signs of lividity, and not where you'd expect it from the position she's in. She'd been dead a while before she was stuffed in here." Sara sighed heavily, wondering what could possess a person to brutalise another living being so badly. A confident rap on the door broke any further musing the women had planned. Catherine brushed past Sara, casually letting her hand make contact with the taller woman's behind as she went, subconsciously craving the brief touch even as her conscious mind refused to accept it was deliberate.

"Brass, I was looking for you, we've got another body." Catherine tilted her head in Sara's direction as the sombre brunette stepped aside to let the Captain see her find.

"Well we need to find ID's for them both and quickly. I've just had an interesting chat with our two blushing brides from Britain, they're both very much alive and in love downstairs offering up information on their whereabouts this evening. Apparently, this wasn't their room, some desk clerk told them it had been double booked and moved them a few doors down but mysteriously there are no records for that and he has vanished without trace. I've got them pulling every available CCTV tape of the building for the afternoon from an hour before these two checked in. Greg's just arrived downstairs, want me to set him on them?" The older man filled in the two women who silently absorbed the information.

"Yeah sure, get him a description of the desk clerk and send him back to the lab with the tapes. I want photos of whoever this guy is; if he's not here and there's no record of him, he's worth a look." Catherine replied, hearing Sara take a breath as though about to speak and turning to face her as Brass left.

"Two girls, one guy…," Sara's voice rose toward the end of her statement, her raised eyebrow making her implication clear.

"Every red-blooded male's fantasy." Catherine supplied rolling her eyes.

"What I don't get though is why use this room when there was a free one down the hall? There had to be for him to put the guests who were due to stay in here somewhere else. Why go to that trouble and risk being remembered?"

"You said it looked like she'd been dead a while, maybe he had to improvise. Wouldn't have done to let the newlyweds check into the room and find two DB's." The older CSI suggested. "Have you processed the bathroom yet?"

"Not yet, I was kinda distracted by this." Sara indicated the body with a tilt of her head, stooping to retrieve her kit case and making a move towards the bathroom.

"Why don't you go down and see if David's back yet to transport the body and get DNA samples from our British guests – we still need to rule them out of being in this room given that it is still registered in their names? I'll take care of the bathroom." Sara looked as though she was about to object, her eyes turning stormy, a sure sign of her displeasure. "I'm not trying to take over Sara, I just think you could use a break, you're already into your second straight shift without a rest. And as hard as you might find it to believe, I do give a damn about your welfare." The tall brunette's mouth opened and closed a few times as she wracked her mind for some sort of response but finding none forthcoming she turned on her heel and left the room. As she descended in the elevator, her mind raced through her recent interactions with Catherine Willows. It was no secret that they did not get on, Catherine had always made it clear that she thought Sara to be a threat to her position in the team and Sara had objected to being judged before being given a chance to prove herself; when backed into a corner, Sara instinctively came out fighting. Some of the bust-ups she and Catherine had had were legendary among the lab staff, but recently things had changed almost imperceptibly. Catherine was beginning to offer tentative praise to Sara, starting to share small smiles with her and Sara could have sworn that she had begun to instigate casual physical contact. Of course, Sara's suspicious nature conceded that all this might just be a ruse to get her to let her guard down around the charismatic blonde, a way of wheedling her way in to find more ammunition to launch Sara's way in their next argument but a large part of Sara really hoped that Catherine had finally begun to see past her insecurity to the possibilities a mutual friendship could offer them both.

Stepping out of the elevator, Sara scanned the busy reception area for Brass or David, seeing neither but her vision grinding to a halt on two women so at ease with one another it was hard to tell where one ended and the other began. Figuring them to be the British honeymooners, she approached, fumbling in her pocket for her ID badge.

Jo watched the lithe brunette approaching them, observing the scrutiny their closeness was drawing from the serious looking woman and nestling slightly closer to Sam. The woman was attractive and whether she was aware of it or not seemed to be admiring Sam visually. A flicker of jealousy sparked in Jo's heart even though she knew it to be irrational. Sam felt the miniscule tightening in her wife's muscles and let out an exhausted breath.

"It's ok Jo, let's just see what they want and then we can get a room somewhere for tonight." Sam murmured, thinking that Jo's actions were the result of frustration at being questioned by a seemingly endless stream of officers. Sam did have to admit to herself though that the scenery had vastly improved with the approach of the striking young brunette, far preferable to the Captain who had previously grilled them.

"Are you Samantha Nixon-Masters and Joanne Masters-Nixon?" Receiving weary nods in response. Sara continued, "Sara Sidle, Las Vegas Crime Lab. Would you be amenable to providing me with a DNA sample to rule you both out as suspects in the deaths of these two women?"

"We already told that other officer we never got to that room. The desk clerk said it was double booked, put us in room 1327 instead." Sam growled, fatigue shortening her temper even as she realised it was in her best interests to cooperate. Despite her previous comment to Jo, she was wary of handing over a sample of DNA for fear of being falsely implicated. Miscarriages of justice were not unheard of in any country and it was always easier to pin the blame on foreigners than it was to accept that your own kinsmen were capable of heinous activities.

"I'm a Crime Scene Investigator, I just need to rule out what evidence was in the room before those two women died. I can get a warrant for your DNA but you both look like you could use some sleep so…" Sara left the question hanging.

"Sam, sweetheart, let's just do it. We know we've nothing to hide, they won't find any of us in that room so where's the harm? Come on, we both know the drill. Let them get on with their jobs." Sara admired the gentle way the busty brunette coaxed her partner into complying, suddenly feeling a well of loneliness opening up inside of her as she realised she could only ever dream of sharing something as special as these two women shared. She watched the blonde woman silently acquiesce. Placing her kit bag on the floor at her feet, she retrieved two swabs, inviting both women to open their mouths so that she could take a sample of cells from the inside of their cheeks. She labelled the samples carefully, checking that she had the correct name attributed to each and stowed them with the rest of the evidence she had collected in her bag.

"I hope the rest of your honeymoon is less eventful. How long are you in town for?" Sam assumed that this was a way of getting round to telling them they weren't allowed to leave until they had been cleared but answered the question with strained politeness.

"Thank you. We're here for two weeks." Jo squeezed Sam to her, dropping a tender kiss into her hair as she sensed her wife's discomfort.

"Will you need us to come to the police station to make formal statements or anything?" Jo asked, wanting to know how much the incident would eat into their time, having made plans to surprise Sam with a trip to the Grand Canyon, knowing the petite blonde had a real desire to see it.

"I think Captain Brass might want to keep in contact with you for a few days, we might need you to take a look at some CCTV footage orparticipate in an lineup if we find this desk clerk." Brass had filled Sara and Catherine in on the women's background in law enforcement which led Sara to be slightly less cagey than she ordinarily would have been. The fact was that she felt for these two, who had taken such a brave step in proclaiming their love for one another only to have their quality time marred by an act of mindless violence. She had little doubt that the women were uninvolved in the crime and were simply in the wrong place at the wrong time.

"Is there really no chance of us being allowed back into the hotel tonight?" Jo asked, conscious of her own flagging energy as much as she was of Sam's who had begun to lean more heavily on her, the fight draining from her with each passing second.

"I don't see why you shouldn't be allowed into the hotel, your room is far enough away from the crime scene. Let me have a word with Captain Brass." Sara offered, slightly unsettled by her own uncharacteristic enthusiasm to assist the two strangers. Frowning to herself, she wandered off in search of the police officer watching David's retreating form enter the hotel with the necessary equipment to retrieve the second body. The slight brunette shivered despite the still, warm night air, a strange feeling of being watched sending shards of caution echoing through her body, every muscle suddenly alert and poised.


	5. Cause of Death

Sam watched the young investigator retreat before turning her gaze up towards her wife, eyelids drooping as exhaustion set in.

"You think she's just getting our hopes up?" the weary blonde inquired, wondering if anyone would object if she pulled the buxom brunette to the ground and slept under the stars.

"Seemed genuine enough but you never can tell. At this stage, they may just be trying to keep us sweet. Tourism is a lucrative business around here, the last thing Vegas needs is two disgruntled police officers from England sounding off about their treatment at the hands of the local law enforcement." Jo stated cynically, life having taught her to reserve judgement on people until they showed their true colours.

"Well if she is yanking our chain, do you think it would be justifiable murder? I'm bone tired and all I want to do is curl up in that gorgeous big bed upstairs with your arms wrapped around me." Sam stated twisting around to face Jo staying within the circle of her arms, resting her own clasped hands at the base of Jo's spine, caressing the highest curve of her buttocks lightly. Despite her fatigue, Jo felt a familiar twitch beginning in her groin at Sam's careful ministrations mingled with the close proximity of their bodies.

"In that case, you can quit that right here and now Mrs Nixon-Masters or else sleep will be a long time coming!" Jo quipped, leaning down to steal a chaste kiss, revelling in the flush of colour that had begun to creep up Sam's exposed neck at her words. As Jo dipped her head to kiss each inch of skin the blush covered, Sam hissed out a breath between clenched teeth..

"Jo stop! People will think we're weird, that we get some kind of sick, macabre pleasure out of all this." Sam waved one arm around taking in the flashing lights of numerous squad cars and the congregated masses watching as events unfolded.

"I can't help it if I find you damned irresistible!" Jo pressed one last lust-filled kiss onto Sam's pouting lips before reigning in her hormones, catching Sara's approach out of the corner of her eye.

Sara felt a blush creeping over her own skin as she watched the brunette devour the petite blonde, feeling a small spark of desire ignited by the display, imagining her mouth on Catherine's in such a hungry manner. Pushing any more thoughts that image conjured into the furthest recesses of her mind, she continued her approach, pleased to be able to tell the two women they were free to return to their room and that an officer would personally escort them to ensure they were not apprehended further en route.

* * *

"Don't you dare wake me until at least midday!" Sam told Jo as she finished shedding her clothes, eyes flashing with the promise of danger should she choose to disobey the order.

"Better just take care of something first then." Jo winked, eyes raking hungrily over Sam's naked form, before spinning on the spot and disappearing back towards the door into their room. Sam watched her, her mind working overtime wondering to what her wife was referring. Jo took the cardboard 'Do Not Disturb' sign from the inside handle, opening the door just far enough to snake an arm out and slide the marker in place on the outside. She turned around, beaming to Sam, "that should make sure no diligent maid comes knocking at some un-Godly hour." Sam smiled sweetly, trying in vain to stifle a yawn. Jo's eyes softened at the sight of her wife battling to keep from falling asleep on her feet. Aside from her beautifully mature body, the miniature blonde resembled a small child as she rubbed at her eye with one balled fist. Crossing the short distance in an instant, Jo swept the petite woman up into strong arms, cradling her close to her body and carrying her to the bed. She laid her down gently, the covers already turned down waiting for them. She kissed Sam's lips, tasting the minty freshness of her toothpaste, before standing upright and turning away from the bed.

"Aren't you joining me?" Sam's voice was thick with fatigue, her words little more than a drowsy murmur.

"You bet I am! I'm just going to use the bathroom first, then I'll be right with you. You're shattered though sweetheart, don't force yourself to stay awake. Go to sleep. I promise I'll be here when you wake up." Jo reassured the sleepy Sam, stifling a yawn of her own. Glancing at the clock, she was surprised to see that it was almost four in the morning already.

"Hurry back lover, this bed feels empty without you." Sam muttered to Jo's retreating form, snuggling down beneath the thin sheet covering her, feeling her mind swim in her exhausted state. She tried desperately to stay awake until Jo climbed into bed beside her but felt that she was fighting a losing battle.

Jo switched the lights out in the bathroom, grateful for the sliver of light seeping under the door, dimly illuminating her way to the bed in the suddenly pitch black room. She listened keenly in the dark for any sign that Sam was still awake, hearing the soft, even breathing which signalled she had succumbed to her desperate need for slumber. With a smile gracing her lips, Jo sunk into the bed, reaching out for her wife, feeling the other woman instinctively curl into her even in her unconscious state. Feeling the familiar sense of home that always washed over her when Sam was in her arms, Jo closed her own eyes and drifted on a sea of exhaustion, carrying her to a far away land to be reunited in dream with the gorgeous woman beside her.

* * *

Sara joined Catherine outside Doc Robbins morgue, bracing herself for the autopsy results of their two unidentified victims. It wasn't the post mortems themselves which bothered her, there was just something about the case which pricked her senses. Long ago, the serious brunette had learned to listen to that nagging voice buried deep in the back of mind, it having saved her many times throughout her troubled life. Of course it didn't help that her mutinous mind also kept wandering back to the searing kiss she had witnessed at the hotel, swiftly followed more often than not by an image of Catherine's face appearing close to her own, lips tantalisingly in reach if Sara just took the chance.

"You ok?" Catherine's voice cut into Sara's silent musing, the concern evident in the strawberry blonde's question throwing Sara off guard for a split second. Their eyes locked as Sara fought to recover, an inscrutable emotion lurking just beneath the surface in Catherine's blue orbs. "Sara?" The sound of her name barely registered with the taller woman, her eyes honing in on the way it spilled from Catherine's lips, lips which suddenly seemed too luscious to ignore. The brunette knew she was behaving completely out of character and mentally reigned in her wayward hormones. The older CSI took a step towards her colleague, worried that the numerous double, and sometimes triple, shifts she insisted on pulling were finally taking their toll physically. "Sara, talk to me. Do you want me to get one of the others to do this?"

Sara swallowed nervously, hoping her voice wouldn't sound as strangled as it felt as she forced words past suddenly parched lips. "I'm fine, really. Just thinking…"

Catherine tossed her hair over one shoulder, one eyebrow raised betraying her scepticism but merely inquired, "…about anything you care to share?"

"Not yet," the brunette replied definitely. "Let's see what Doc Robbins has for us." Sara pulled the door open, standing aside and allowing Catherine to precede her into the autopsy suite. The older woman conceded the point, mentally promising to take it up again with Sara when they got a chance to take a break. She could have sworn Sara's eyes were tracing the outline of her lips, a real sense of longing in her expression. The strawberry blonde shook her head slightly, realising it was all probably just wishful thinking on her part and wondering when her hormones had become so uncontrollable around the sultry brunette.

* * *

"As yet, both women are still unidentified so I'm calling them Jane Doe 15672 and 15673 for the moment. Let's start with 15672, our unidentified flying female. Cause of death was exsanguination from multiple internal injuries. She was alive when she went through the window but doubtless unconscious. Tox screen came back, she had a cocktail of substances in her blood; methamphetamine and diacetylmorphine, known colloquially as a 'speedball', highly volatile and potentially fatal in itself. Also, blood alcohol was point-one-oh." Dr Al Robbins leant heavily on his crutch as he directed the two women's eyes to the victims neck with his free arm. "See these marks here?" Sara leaned in to get a closer look.

"She was strangled?" There was confusion in her voice as her head whipped up to look the doctor in the eye.

"Seems like overkill. Pump her full of drugs, strangle her and then push her out of a window thirteen storeys up?" Catherine supplied.

"Someone had their hands round her neck tightly enough to mark her and probably give her the impression that she was being strangled but they didn't exert enough pressure to kill her. Her hyoid bone is still intact, it's one of the few to have survived the fall. There is significant trauma to the top of her skull, her vertebrae show signs of compression fractures in keeping with her hitting the ground head first." The doctor stated dispassionately.

"Any sign of sexual assault?" Sara asked, her voice clipped and tight, a sure sign that she was already emotionally involved with the case.

The doctor's voice remained neutral but there was a flicker of some unidentifiable emotion briefly in his eyes as he met Sara's unfaltering gaze once again. "There's extensive tearing and bruising to her genital region, along with a bite mark on her inner thigh you'll want to take a cast of. There's evidence to suggest that both of the victims had been subjected to a sustained, brutal sexual encounter. I've sent swabs to the lab for testing." Doc Robbins re-covered the young woman's naked form before moving a little stiffly over to the second autopsy table, peeling back the shroud to reveal the second victim. As with the first woman, the body belonged to a woman who looked to be in her mid thirties, slender build and toned muscles suggesting she had cared about her appearance in life. "Jane Doe 15673, the woman in the wardrobe. Cause of death: asphyxiation. Fortunately for her, she had already been dead for at least 3 hours before she was forced into the wardrobe judging by the extent of livor mortis." Rolling the victim onto her side, the doctor pointed out the areas where blood had settled; buttocks, the undersides of her forearms and the soles of her feet bearing the most marked lividity.

"She was sitting down when she died." Sara observed, her instincts honed from years of studying the patterns left behind in death. Catherine nodded in agreement, her mind already trying to work out what went down to cause the deaths of these two women.

"Her tox screen also came back positive for the same cocktail of narcotics as the other victim. Times of death: 15672 was actually the second victim, indications are that she died between 11.30 and midnight. 15673 died up to an hour prior to that." Sara's cell phone began ringing just as the doctor completed his report. Leaving Catherine to take a cast of the bite mark mentioned, the feisty brunette strode out into the corridor, answering the call just before the caller rang off.

"Sara Sidle." As she walked purposefully towards a quiet corner of the corridor, a man dressed in an orderly uniform bustled past, jostling into her shoulder knocking her into the wall. She spun around as he marched onwards, seemingly oblivious to the collision. "Asshole," she muttered.

"I'm going to assume that wasn't directed at me." Grissom's voice was vaguely teasing on the other end of the line. With a wry smile, Sara assured him it wasn't. "Greg has some photos you might want to take a look at when you get back to the lab. What did Doc Robbins have to tell you?" Grissom listened silently as his protégée gave him a run down of the autopsy results.

"Catherine's just taking an impression of the bite mark now then we're heading back. I'll make it a priority to catch up with Greg when we get in."

"I don't want you working overtime on this Sara, you're already pushing the limit as it is." The supervisor warned, knowing that once the brunette got her teeth into a case, she found it difficult to let it go and go home. "How are you and Catherine getting along?" Grissom broached the sensitive subject of relations between his two female CSI's. It was common knowledge that they rarely saw eye to eye and each time they worked together he felt an apprehension settle over him, wondering when he would get the call to sort out yet another public fracas between them.

"Relax Grissom, we're big girls and we're getting along just fine." Catherine emerged from the autopsy suite just as Sara reported back to her supervisor and grinned wryly, amused that Grissom still felt the need to check up on them despite them not having ripped one another to shreds during their last five cases together. "Looks like we're set to head back. We'll see you shortly."

* * *

Sara took a closer look at the photo Greg placed in front of her, a CCTV shot of the desk clerk talking to the two English tourists. She studied the young man's face, a frown marring her flawless skin wracking her brain trying to think why he should look so familiar to her. 


	6. Insatiable Demand

_**Ok, so firstly let me apologise for the length of time it's taken me to update this fic - and to thank those of you sticking with it for your patience! Real life has got in the way recently, leaving me little time or energy to write, so I have sorted out my priorities and got a more suitable job which will give me back my freetime! Hopefully, normal service shall be resumed shortly with more regular updates and I promise not to leave it so long before the next instalment is up.

* * *

**_

Jo stirred as consciousness arrived, her hand casually drifting to tangle in Sam's blonde locks, instinct guiding her as the diminutive vixen lavished kisses on the voluptuous brunette's prone body. She felt a lazy grin spreading across her lips, wishing she could wake up the exact same way every morning, knowing she would never tire of how Sam's attention made her feel.

"Morning gorgeous," Sam purred as she felt the change in Jo's state of consciousness, her words vibrating through the tender skin of Jo's soft belly, Sam's lips never leaving their earnest task. Jo's fingers urged her wife upwards until their mouths met. Both women felt a tremor run through them as Sam's modest breasts clashed with Jo's generous own, nipples grazing against one another, unleashing a flood of arousal in them.

"Promise me you'll wake me this way at least once a week for the rest of our lives?" Jo implored, feeling her hands beginning to dance over her wife's body of their own accord. "I take you're feeling a little more refreshed this morning?" The buxom brunette felt Sam smile against her skin as her mouth descended towards her aching centre once more.

"Don't you mean this afternoon? It's after midday already. And if you think I'm sticking to once a week for this, you're in for a surprise sweetheart!" Sam quipped as she focused fully once more on devouring her wife's luscious body, slipping her tongue between Jo's drenched lips, drinking in as much of her essence as she could. Her actions were spurred on by Jo's sharp intake of breath, her lover's hands clutching convulsively at the sheets on the dishevelled bed as her senses were sent into overdrive. Sam lazily drew Jo's throbbing bundle of nerves into her mouth, teasing her mercilessly slowly, occasionally flicking her tongue over the hypersensitive organ, marvelling in the brunette's instantaneous reaction to the stimulation.

Jo slowly felt her senses slipping away from her, her only awareness centred around the feel of Sam's mouth on her; teeth grazing her clit, lips sensuously soothing her inflamed nerves, tongue lapping every last drop of liquid oozing from her copiously. She became dimly awareness of a growing fullness in her belly signalling her gathering orgasm. She whimpered softly, wanting to feel Sam filling her as she came, trying to make her lover understand but too inebriated by lust to communicate coherently. Her body moved without any conscious input from her, nerve endings and synapses firing randomly in the wake of Sam's heavenly assault.

Sam watched her lover's face, seeing the slight twitch in the muscles around her tightly shut eyes, betraying how close she was to crashing over the edge into oblivion. Having learnt from Jo over the months of lovemaking just what it was she needed to bring her to a mind blowing climax, Sam placed one hand flat against Jo's taut stomach, just above the thatch of neatly trimmed hair framing Jo's luscious fruit, holding her hips steady. With her free hand, the skilful blonde eased two fingers into the woman who had stolen her heart, feeling Jo tighten initially before opening up to welcome the intrusion. Once the brunette was comfortable accommodating the slender digits, Sam insinuated a third into the flexible opening, whispering words of encouragement as Jo opened herself further, spreading her legs as far as she could, inviting Sam to give her everything. Silently accepting the invitation, Sam eased another finger inside Jo, willing her lover to hold back long enough.

"Uh yeah… oh Sam baby, please…" Jo begged, her words escaping in a hoarse whisper, her throat parched as she panted heavily, totally lost in her lust. Sam rocked her hand back and forth a few times, feeling the muscles easing around the limb which was almost completely buried inside her wife.

"Almost there sweetheart, almost and then you can come for me." Sam encouraged as her hand was drawn further inside of Jo, the powerful muscles aiding Sam's entry. She tucked her thumb into her palm, working it gently into the opening, now stretched taut, pausing momentarily as Jo sucked in a breath, always aware of the potential for pain. She remembered how reluctant she had been the first time Jo had admitted what she really wanted, afraid that she would damage her lover and knowing that she would never be able to forgive herself if she ever caused Jo physical pain like that.

"I'm… ok…" Jo hissed, so close the tension was almost unbearable, knowing that if Sam didn't make the final push soon, her muscles would clamp down too tightly for it to be possible. Hearing Jo's struggle for control, Sam gently but firmly pushed the rest of her hand inside her lover, holding still once inside and allowing Jo's body to become accustomed to the intrusion. Then gently, slowly, she began rocking her balled fist, pulsing against the walls of its hot tomb. She let her head fall forwards, capturing one of Jo's prominent nipples between her teeth, toying with it for a while before soothing it with her tongue and lips. The first ripples of Jo's orgasm reverberated through Sam's hand, buried deep within her lover.

Pulling herself further up the bed, Sam whispered into Jo's ear, "you're mine, completely and I'm all yours. Come for me baby." The heartfelt words followed by a soul-searing kiss was all that the brunette needed to explode into oblivion, her muscles undulating around Sam's hand trapping it deep inside Jo, almost painfully so. As Jo collapsed exhausted back on the bed, Sam lay her head gently on her wife's chest, holding her hand still waiting for the muscles to relax enough to be able to remove her hand from its cosy tomb.

* * *

Sara tossed and turned in her bed, fractions of dreams unsettling her sleep and leaving her craving for contact from a warm human body – but not just any body; only Catherine Willows' lithe, slender body would satisfy the deep craving within her.

_Catherine smiled at Sara from across the picnic blanket laid out on the parched grass. The annual department event was drawing to a close; Lindsey, Catherine's precocious daughter, was squealing delightedly as she ran away from Nick and Greg who were pretending to be monsters; Grissom was separated from the group, engrossed in watching a group of bugs studiously; Warrick and Tina were gazing lovingly at one another as they lay face to face on another blanket._

"_I don't want the afternoon to end here, come home with me… with us." Catherine asked bashfully._

"_I'd love to." Sara admitted, a broad grin snaking onto her attractive face._

"_You know, you should smile more often, it really suits you." Catherine complimented the younger woman, reaching out to brush a stray strand of hair out of Sara's deep brown eyes. Sara just blushed, not knowing what to say, subconsciously turning her face into Catherine's caress. Their eyes locked momentarily, a smouldering glance that communicated more than a million words ever could. "I really want to kiss you right now!" Catherine admitted breathlessly, her chest heaving as she drew closer to Sara._

"_We can't, not here, everyone will see us!" Sara hissed back, equally as breathless, trying to draw away but as she leaned back, Catherine continued her approach._

"_Who's here to see?" Catherine whispered. The light around them faded into candlelit darkness. Sara felt herself falling backwards onto a plush duvet, Catherine hovering above her as though waiting for a signal to approach. The slender brunette wrapped one arm behind Catherine's neck, pulling her down on top of her, sucking in a breath as their bodies settled against one another as though modelled just for that coupling. She felt soft lips brushing her own, softer than she had ever imagined them possible to be and lord knows she had imagined them often enough. Fervently, she returned the kiss delivered to her, holding the other woman's body close, hands roaming over curves of muscle and succulently pliable flesh._

Sara opened her eyes, skin flushed, a thin sheen of sweat coating her body, one hand working furiously between her legs to bring some form of release. Her mind was still in overdrive, imagining it to be Catherine's hand buried deep within her, stimulating her wired nerves and driving her onto an incredible high. Just as she thought she could stand it no longer, that she would surely tipple over into the abyss, her moment was interrupted by her cell phone vibrating on the bedside cabinet. Frustrated, she did consider ignoring it until she caught sight of the number displayed on the tiny screen.

"Catherine, what's up?" Sara panted into the phone, hoping that the older woman would believe any excuse she offered – telling her colleague that she had just been about to have the most incredible orgasm of the year whilst fantasizing about her was not an option!

"I didn't wake you, did I?" Catherine noticed the breathlessness as Sara answered the call, wondering what the young brunette had been doing, imagining her bouncing around her apartment playing her electric guitar boisterously or running into the apartment on hearing her phone ringing or lying in bed with a lover. She tried desperately to ignore the spark of jealousy ignited by the last image, wondering whether it was such a good idea to have called at all. Being honest with herself, Catherine had simply called to hear the other woman's voice, knowing her excuse sounded feeble even to her own ears.

"No, no, I'm awake." Sara's voice had evened out somewhat, the breathlessness less pronounced. "So what can I do for you Catherine? Something come up on the case?" Sara concentrated hard on breathing normally, her hand still trapped between her legs, not daring to move in case it tipped her over the edge. Hearing Catherine's voice in her highly aroused state was doing little to douse the flames raging in her. A muscle in Sara's hand twitched involuntarily eliciting a tiny groan from her.

"No, nothing that I've heard anyway. I was just wondering if you could spare an hour or so today? Lindsey has this project for school that she could use some help on and it's way beyond anything I can handle. I mean don't feel obligated or anything, if you're busy, you know…" Catherine trailed off as more images of Sara in bed with a mystery man assaulted her mind, the small groan having sounded distinctly pleasure induced.

"Sure, I'd be happy to give it a shot. Give me an hour and I'll be over." Sara responded without pause, alarm bells ringing in her mind even as the words tumbled from her lips. Pushing her concerns aside, Sara prompted Catherine to remind her of her address, having picked her up for work once or twice but that was back in the days when she was knee deep in denial and refusing to pay much attention to the blonde professionally or personally. Both women ended the call filled with a sense of nervous anticipation.

* * *

"So what do you feel like doing this afternoon?" Sam asked as she wrapped the towel tightly around her still damp body. Jo cocked one eyebrow, a sly grin spreading across her face as she stalked predatorily towards her wife. "Geez Jo, are you always a martyr to your hormones?" Sam deadpanned.

"Funnily enough, only when you're around – especially when I know there's nothing between me and your body bar that flimsy towel!" Jo's eyes smouldered dangerously as she visually devoured the woman she had developed an insatiable lust for.

"Well maybe I'd better do something to remedy that if I want you to show me any other this country then." Sam protested half-heartedly, her own desire renewed by the light in the brunette's eyes.

"If that's what you really want…" Jo pointedly sat on the edge of the bed, hands tucked beneath her thighs, bottom lip protruding in a sullen pout that she managed to hold remarkably well until Sam sashayed directly into her line of vision, slowly peeling the towel away. "Thought you wanted to go do some sight seeing." Jo muttered, still projecting the air of a wounded lover.

"Oh I don't know for sure, but I'm pretty certain I have the best sight to see right here. As for the rest of the country, well we do have two whole weeks to do the tourist thing." Sam straddled Jo's legs, settling herself close and holding her wife to her, dropping kisses into her baby soft auburn hair.

"Well if we're settling in for the afternoon, how about I order us a bottle of Champagne and some food? I have a feeling we're going to need something to replenish our energy reserves." Jo tilted her chin upwards, searching out her wife's luscious lips.

"If you insist." Sam purred huskily, pressing her body into Jo's own as she surrendered to the kiss. "Looks like someone could do with a little cooling off period though if we're getting room service delivered." The blonde grinned as she felt Jo's hands clutching at her naked skin, sliding lower in search of the heat she constantly craved. "How about, you order that room service and I'll go fill up the ice bucket?"

"I don't generally take ice with my Champagne." Jo responded, reluctant to release her wife from her grasp.

"Who said anything about it going in the drinks?" Sam retorted with a wink, seeing the instant flush of colour spreading upwards from her lover's chest. Jo groaned quietly as Sam pushed up off her knee and set about getting dressed sufficiently for the short dash to retrieve some ice.

* * *

Sara wiped her palms on her jeans before knocking on Catherine's door, suddenly feeling inexplicably nervous at entering the older woman's domain, wishing she had made some excuse for refusing the invite. She raised her hand about to pound on the wooden door when it swung open to reveal a harassed looking Catherine.

"Thank God you're here, Lindsey has been bouncing off the walls ever since I told her you were coming over!" Catherine smiled tiredly as she stood aside beckoning the young brunette to enter.

"Sara!" As soon as Catherine stepped back, Lindsey bounded into view, almost bowling Sara over as she chased up to her grabbing her hand and dragging her towards the back of the house, babbling excitedly all the while about how her project was going to be the greatest with Sara to help her.

"Whoa, easy there tiger! Why don't you let Sara catch her breath before you start the Spanish Inquisition?" Catherine gently disentangled her daughter's hand from Sara's own, goose-bumps rising on her arms at the feel of Sara's strong, slender fingers in her palm. Sara swallowed convulsively as her fingertips danced lightly across Catherine's soft hand, the action performed subconsciously before she had chance to check herself. "Can I get you a drink? I've just brewed fresh coffee." Catherine stammered, retracting her hand, all the while wishing she had an excuse for leaving it where it had been such was the thrill that shot through her. Sara jammed her hands into her pockets, more to hide the fact they were shaking than out of necessity.

"Sure, coffee would be great, thanks." Lindsey sighed heavily at Sara's side, watching the exchange bemused by the tension between her mother and colleague. "It's ok Linds, I'll just grab a mug and then I'll be right with you. Tell you what, why don't you come with us and you can tell me all about this project before we get to work on it?" That was all the encouragement the younger Willows needed. She trailed after her mother and guest, mouth going ten to the dozen as she raced to tell Sara all about the work and her ideas for the project. The more Lindsey talked, the greater sense of dread Sara felt growing inside of her as she realised this wouldn't be just a one visit deal, that it would take time and patience on both her part and Lindsey's to achieve what she was proposing.

* * *

Jo ceased her restless pacing, wandering over to the door at the sound of a gentle knock, concerned that Sam was taking so long to bring back the ice. It briefly crossed her mind that this might be her, knocking on the door, having forgotten to take the keycard with her but her hopes were dashed as she pulled the door open to reveal a porter bearing a tray laden with the food Jo had ordered over half an hour earlier. She directed the young man to the table by the floor to ceiling windows, tipping him generously before slipping her own shoes on and scribbling a short note explaining where she had gone to Sam, in case they missed one another. She shut the door behind her with a resounding thud, glancing up and down the empty corridor trying to get her bearings as she decided which way to search first. A nagging fear kept pulling at the back of her mind, a sense that something was very wrong but her rational mind refused to acknowledge it until she had concrete proof that Sam hadn't just been distracted and lost track of time. She strode along the quiet corridor, the sound of her footsteps muffled by the plush carpet. She rounded the corner, stopping as she saw the ice bucket Sam had been carrying lying discarded at the side of the large dispensing machine, with the feisty blonde nowhere to be seen. 


	7. Lost & Delirious

_**Once again, sincere and huge apologies for not being able to update this any sooner! But I have found one remedy for getting some time back to write – I'm officially too stressed to work, my doctor has decreed it. So as part of my official therapy, I'm getting out and meeting people – or more precisely, climbing into my keyboard and reacquainting myself with Sam, Jo, Catherine, Sara and all the other poor people I left hanging in Las Vegas almost 12 months ago!!! So anyway, onwards and upwards with the story finally. I can't promise very regular updates, I've no idea when I'll have to go back to work, but there's one thing I can guarantee and that is that the 14 hour days and 7 day weeks are behind me – no way no how am I going back to that again, especially when I don**__**'t get paid for it!!!!**_

_**As always, the usual disclaimers apply – the characters in the main are not mine, I don't own them, they're not being used for making me any kind of money (oh wouldn't that be nice!) and I shall return them, unharmed (?) but slightly happier than before I hope once they've finished their adventure. So, after all this time, please read and review, let me know if you think it's naff or if you love it, whatever your opinion, I'd be glad to hear it. All reviews will help me get back into the swing of writing again!

* * *

**_

Jo raced back to the hotel room, heart hammering in her chest as she unlocked the door, mentally praying that she would find her wife inside.

"SAM?" The panicked brunette called as she hurtled through the door, "SAM? Please baby, where are you?" Jo could feel a lump forming in her throat, unable to believe that they could be beset by any more bad luck. She felt truly alone, so far from home and with no one to turn to. Picking up the receiver by the bed, she punched the number for the front desk, asking to speak with the manager.

"I'm afraid he's not on the premises at the moment Ma'am, can anyone else help?" The young-sounding desk clerk was polite, obviously used to dealing with fraught holiday makers.

"I need to speak to the most senior person on the premises, right now. I think my wife has been abducted from the hotel. If we can move quickly, she might still be here somewhere." Jo spoke quickly, trying to control her breathing and keep her temper in check, not wanting any further delays.

"Hold the line one moment please." Before Jo could respond, the phone clicked and tinny music filled her ear. She clenched her teeth, hoping that the clerk was busy finding someone in a more senior role to deal with the call.

"Ma'am, can I help you?" An older sounding male voice sounded abruptly in Jo's ear.

"It's my wife, she left our room over half an hour ago to go and get some ice. I've just been to look for her, the ice bucket is on the floor but she's nowhere to be seen. I'm worried that something's happened to her, that someone's taken her." Jo explained quickly, hoping to be taken seriously. She heard a sharp intake of breath on the other end of the line, followed by a sigh as though this was an inconvenience he could do without.

"If I can take your name, room number and a few details, I'll get someone up to see you right away Ma'am." The voice sounded resigned but cagey. "If I can just ask you to stay in your room until then, I'm sure everything will be fine. Your wife may just have got lost or distracted, she might be on her way back to you right at this very minute." He did his best to sound reassuring but Jo was left feeling patronised, as though she was a hysterical, neurotic tourist panicking over nothing.

"My name is Joanne Masters-Nixon, my wife is Samantha Nixon-Masters, we're in room 1327 and we are the guests who were thought to have been killed yesterday because we were booked into the room those two women were killed in so you'll have to excuse me if I am a little perturbed about my wife suddenly disappearing into thin air a day later. Sam wouldn't just wander off, not without letting me know where she was going, not of her own accord. I want you to ring the police and if you don't I will." Jo stated with an air of finality to her tone.

"I understand that you're concerned Ma'am, but at this stage there really is no indication that a police presence is justified. Let's not get ahead of ourselves." Jo rolled her eyes, determined not to let the man's PR concerns overrule her own fears for Sam's safety.

"I'm not debating this with you, either you call the police and make them aware that a guest has disappeared or I will not only call them myself but I will personally start knocking on all the doors in this corridor to see if anyone has seen my wife." The brunette could almost hear the cogs grinding at the other end of the phone as the man weighed up how much damage could be done to the hotel's reputation.

"Very well, sit tight and I will have a member of our security staff speak to you while I inform the police." He deferred grudgingly. Jo paced up and down in the spacious room as she waited for a knock on the door.

* * *

"Linds, go grab some overnight stuff baby, Sara and I have to go into work." Catherine popped her head round the doorjamb, heart leaping wildly in her chest at the sight of Sara stretched out on the floor alongside her daughter. She allowed herself a brief minute to imagine the scene becoming a familiar one, if only she were brave enough to announce her cravings and Sara was interested in pursuing a relationship with a woman who gave the impression she tolerated her at best and disliked her intensely at worst. The moment was broken instantly by a loud whine from the younger Willows woman. Sara was on her feet in an instant, knowing that Catherine wouldn't cut short their day off unless it was a real emergency.

"We can carry on with this tomorrow Lindsey, I promise." Sara offered as the disgruntled youngster trudged out of the room.

"You've made yourself quite a fan there." Catherine commented idly as she watched her daughter's retreating form.

"She's a great kid, a real credit to you Catherine." Sara tried to keep the surprise out of her voice as she admitted, "I've really enjoyed myself this afternoon. She's bright and definitely keen." A comfortable silence settled as the two women reflected on private memories. Although reluctant to break the peace, Sara enquired, "so, what's going on?"

Catherine panicked for a moment, so lost in her wishful thinking that she forgot why she had interrupted to the studious workers. Suddenly her mind switched back on, leaving the images of kissing Sara far behind and returning to the details of the phonecall she had taken minutes earlier. "There's been another possible incident at the Mandalay Bay Hotel. One of the English brides you spoke with last night appears to be missing." Sara raised an inquisitive eyebrow.

"Which one?" she asked, curiosity piqued as she wondered just how involved the two women had been in the previous night's crime.

"Samantha Nixon-Masters. Went out to fetch ice, hasn't been seen since." Catherine supplied. "Grissom wants us over there to take a look around. Apparently the ice bucket made it to the dispenser but there's no sign of the woman."

"My kit's ready in my car, I can drive and we'll drop Lindsey off on the way, if you like?" Sara proposed, not seeing the point in taking separate cars and, in truth, grateful for any excuse to spend more time in Catherine's company.

"You got yourself a deal, maybe if Lindsey can quiz you some more on the way to dropping her off, I won't have to endure so many hours of earache and sulking when I get home!" Catherine shook her head at the thought of how stroppy her young daughter was becoming. Sara grinned, seeing a lot of herself in Lindsey – well herself prior to the night of her parents' fight to end all fights anyway. She cleared her throat more to shake the dark thoughts away which threatened to crowd her mind.

"So do you reckon she decided she'd had enough of married life already and skipped town or are we suspecting foul play?" Catherine as always marvelled at Sara's ability to get straight to the heart of topics so readily.

"According to Grissom, wife number two is making a big noise about it not being like Samantha to go off without telling her where she's going. Apparently, she threatened to knock on doors herself and ask for witnesses if the police weren't called! Sounds like someone has a few separation issues." Catherine hollered down the hallway for Lindsey to get a move on as she gathered her belongings.

"I don't know Catherine, seeing them together yesterday, I'd say they're just desperately in love and don't want to be apart for even the shortest time. I mean, you were married to Eddie, weren't you inseparable on your honeymoon?" Sara vehemently believed her colleague was way off-base about the brunette bride being over-anxious and clingy, although couldn't have explained sufficiently to anyone else why she felt so strongly. 'Maybe it's because you'd be exactly the same if Catherine were your wife and went missing for even a few minutes,' she mentally suggested to herself. Catherine favoured Sara with a quizzical glance, considering her words.

"Yeah I guess for the first couple of hours. Ok so saying that Mrs Nixon-Masters didn't skip town of her own volition, are you thinking coincidence or some link to yesterday's deaths?" The older CSI was genuinely interested in Sara's take on the new development, having seen her work often enough to know that the brunette's keen analytical mind sifted through all kinds of possibilities despite Grissom's insistence that they follow the evidence and leave the deductions to the detectives.

"Seems too much of a coincidence that their names came up in connection with yesterday's murders and then less than 24hours later one of them goes missing. But let's wait and see what we find at the hotel first, it might all be nothing." Sara seemed keen to change the subject as Lindsey shuffled towards them, her rucksack slung over one shoulder, feet scuffing the carpet. The trio trooped out of the house, Catherine hanging back to lock up as Sara coaxed Lindsey out of her sour mood by firing suggestions and hints for the continuation of the project they had begun.

* * *

"How many times do I need to go over this? Why are you asking me pointless irrelevant questions when you should be concentrating on finding Sam?" Jo knew she was being overly harsh on the detective perched uncomfortably in the arm chair by the window.

"Ma'am if you could just bear with me a little longer, we need to get as much detail about your wife's whereabouts prior to her disappearance as possible. Any detail, no matter how small or large could give us a lead on where to look for her." Sofia Curtis looked up from her seat at the anxious brunette pacing the room. "If you can just take me through your movements today up until you and your wife separated. Did you see anyone watching you?"

"As I told the security officer, the first time either of us left the room was when Sam went to get ice. The only other person I saw, until I had you lot crawling all over the room, was the young guy who brought that up." Jo gestured to the food she had ordered from room service which lay cold and untouched on the table. It all seemed so long ago that she and Sam were sharing their flirtatious, hungry banter and yet in truth little over an hour had passed since Sam had walked out of the door and vanished. "I've told you everything I can. We've only been in Las Vegas for just over a day. Yesterday, when we checked in, we went straight to bed, nipped out for some dinner and then came back to find the hotel besieged by police. After we were allowed back into our room, we went back to bed – it was a long flight and both our body clocks are a little off kilter right now." Jo's tone was weary and resigned. "It was around midday when we woke up, we stayed in bed for a while," the buxom brunette squirmed, hoping the detective would not ask her to detail the reasons behind that, "then Sam decided she wanted to go sight-seeing. She had a shower, changed her mind and left me to order room service while she fetched some ice. That's the last I saw of her. I waited in the room for close to half an hour before I went looking for her. That's when I found the ice bucket on the ground and Sam gone. I came straight back to the room, hoping she'd be here and when she wasn't I called downstairs."

"When you went looking for Samantha…" Sofia began.

"Sam, she prefers to be called Sam." Jo interjected.

"Okay, when you went looking for Sam, did you see anyone else in the corridor? Anyone at all? Did you hear a door closing? The lift in operation? Anything at all that might have been linked to her disappearance?" The buxom Brit wracked her memory for even the tiniest noise that had coincided with her finding the abandoned ice bucket.

"Nothing that I can remember but then my attention was rather focused on the ground and the fact my wife was nowhere in sight." Jo's temper flared, more due to fatigue and annoyance with herself for not paying closer attention to her surroundings. 'So much for my well-honed detective skills,' she silently berated herself.

"That's understandable. Even though we deal with incidents each day, it's different when it hits closer to home. Don't be too hard on yourself." Sofia sensed the older woman's distress from her pained expression.

* * *

"I've got a whole lot of smudges on this door handle, not one useable print so far." Nick sighed in exasperation wondering just how many claustrophobic guests preferred to use the stairwell than be observed in the goldfish bowl which passed for a lift in the hotel.

"No obvious signs of a struggle, meaning either she didn't fight, or was subdued almost instantly." Catherine swept an appraising gaze over the area.

"A lot of smudges on the bucket too, I've lifted a few partials and one complete print from the inside, consistent with a thumb if the bucket was carried like this," Sara carefully demonstrated her theory without actually making contact with the bucket, four fingers splayed around the outside of the bucket, thumb inside to hold it firm.

"Unless the prints come back to our missing bride, they'll be inadmissible in any court. Any self-respecting defense attorney will argue that given the public nature of the crime scene, there is any number of reasonable explanations for a person's fingerprints to be on a hotel ice bucket." Grissom concluded, knowing that it would take much more convincing evidence to link any one person with the woman's disappearance. "Keep looking for evidence that the woman was here, beyond the ice bucket. No one can disappear without a trace, you just need to know where to look."

"I've got the CCTV footage for this floor from the manager, want me to head back to the lab and take a look?" Greg appeared in the corridor, making Catherine jump slightly, his footsteps muffled by the plush carpet. Grissom nodded his confirmation, Greg retreating as silently as he had approached.

"Well that explains how someone could have come up behind her without her knowing!" Catherine grinned wryly at her own reaction but there was just something about the corridor which was making her skin crawl.

Sara positioned herself behind Catherine, reaching around to place a hand over her mouth. Catherine immediately began struggling against her captor, scuffing the carpet in the process. Letting go and moving away to avoid the strawberry blonde's flailing arms, Sara crouched down to compare the carpet where she had just tested Catherine's theory to the area surrounding the bucket. "Surely the two areas would show similar signs of disturbance. Even if she had a knife to her throat, or a gun held to her, there would be a moment of resistance – it's a natural reaction." Catherine glowered at Sara, wishing she had warned her of her intent, the exchange doing nothing to soothe her nerves.

* * *

Sam floated on a cloud of narcotic-induced hypnosis, oblivious to the hive of activity her disappearance had created. Somewhere in the dim recesses of her mind, she caught snippets of a hurried conversation, the fractured sentences meaningless in her blissfully unaware state.

"…got another blonde for you…wait a while to move her…crawling with cops already…vanished into thin air…bonus…that brunette…meet me at ten…have some fun."


	8. To See or Not To See

"Anything from the CCTV footage, Greg?" Catherine poked her head around the doorjamb into the lab where Greg was rubbing his eyes tiredly.

"I think I need to take a break, I thought I just saw a man disappear." Greg paused the tape he was scanning, running a hand through already dishevelled hair.

"No one can just disappear Greg, take 5 minutes, get yourself a coffee, splash some cold water on your face and if needs be, let Archie take over for a while," the older CSI instructed. Greg rose from the seat he had occupied uninterrupted for the past two hours, stretching the kinks out of his back as he stood.

"You might want to reconsider that when you've seen the film for yourself. I've watched the same loop over ten times now and each time he's there one second and gone the next." Catherine frowned at the young protégé's insistence striding over to take Greg's seat herself. She allowed Greg to rewind to the first time the man came into shot, seeming to appear from nowhere in an instant, and watched as he called out to someone off camera. The screen shimmered for a fraction of a second before refocusing on the now empty hallway, no sign of the man who had been standing there only a second ago. The lithe CSI pondered as she allowed the footage to continue. The petite blonde woman whose disappearance they were investigating strode into view in the bottom corner of the screen, seemingly searching for something, or someone. Catherine leaned forward as the woman slapped at her neck, wheeled round on the spot and scanned the hallway behind her before sagging against the wall and sliding to the ground. The prone woman was lifted by someone standing out of view from the camera and carried off-screen. Silence hung heavily as Catherine tried to assimilate what she had just witnessed with the laws of physics as she knew them.

"Are there any other cameras on that floor which would give us a different angle of this area?" When Greg shook his head, Catherine continued, "get Archie to analyse this footage. We can't rule out that it hasn't been tampered with. No one just appears from nowhere so we need to know how it's been edited, it might give us a lead. I'll get Sofia to have a chat to the security officer who was on surveillance duty when this happened."

"But why would anyone try to remove footage of that man being there when we already have a clear shot of him?" Greg asked, genuinely puzzled.

"At this point I don't know but first we need to prove the authenticity of this tape. While you're with Archie, print the best image you can get of this guy's face, it'll give Brass and Sofia something to canvass the hotel with. Someone must have seen him. Compare the photo to that we already have of the desk clerk. We could be looking for more than one person for this, or the clerk could be completely uninvolved. Either way, I'm sure the police will still want to ask him about his sudden disappearance yesterday."

"Could be that he doesn't have any papers and didn't want to risk being deported." Greg supplied reasonably as he ejected the footage and prepared to take it for further analysis.

"Still, until we know for sure, we can't rule out the possibility that more than one person is involved, or whether this disappearance is even related to yesterday's murders. They could be two unrelated incidents." Even as she said it, Catherine doubted her own words figuring it to be too big a coincidence.

* * *

Jo groaned as she opened her eyes. She couldn't believe she'd fallen asleep. Sam was missing, how could she sleep when her wife was who-knows-where having who-knows-what done to her by god-only-knows-who? She rubbed a hand over her neck, the muscles screaming in objection at the unnatural angle her head had been lolling at. As her bearings returned, she saw that she was still sitting in the chair facing the door, a chair she had been sitting in for some twelve hours as she waited for her wife to return to her. She checked her watch wondering if the police had any leads, and if they would object to her haunting their station. She couldn't stay in that hotel room, not with so many reminders of Sam surrounding her, consuming her with guilt at not having volunteered to fetch the ice herself. She stood, wincing as more muscles shouted their displeasure, and headed to the bathroom throwing icy cold water over her face. She grimaced as she caught sight of her reflection in the mirror; eyes sunken and bloodshot, the flesh around them swollen and dark from her tears, the rest of her face sallow in the harsh artificial light. She sighed and turned away from the mirror, starting slightly as a knock sounded on the hotel room door.

"Mrs Masters-Nixon, sorry to disturb you but I was wondering if you could take a look at a photograph for me?" Sofia clutched the envelope containing the video still of the mysterious disappearing man in both hands.

"Of course, come in." Jo stepped aside to allow the young detective to enter. "I really don't know anyone here though but if there's any chance it might help I'll take a look." Sofia glanced towards the unmade bed before looking back to the distraught British brunette. Her heart went out to the older woman, who appeared to have aged ten years since Sofia had been in the same room less than 24 hours before.

"Is there anyone we can call for you back in England? Someone who can maybe fly out to be with you?" Sofia rooted in her jacket pocket, pulling out a pen and her notebook ready to take down any number Jo provided.

"It's kind of you to offer but no, really. All our friends are police officers and I think the last thing you need is a bunch of renegade English coppers interfering in your investigation. And believe me, they'd arrive en masse to make sure you were doing everything that could be done to find Sam, she's a very popular woman." Jo's voice cracked as she spoke of her wife and the esteem in which she was held by her colleagues. "I can't tell them she's gone." A solitary tear trickled its way down Jo's puffy cheek, dispelling her theory that she was all cried out.

"It's a lot to go through alone, especially so far from home. If you reconsider at any time, call me. I have a few friends in England, I can get someone to you quickly and discretely if you can't face everyone knowing." Sofia handed over her business card, her eyes imploring Jo to give her offer some serious thought.

"Thank you but Sam's all I have. What's this photo you've got for me to look at?" Jo drew her gaze to the envelope still clutched in Sofia's left hand. She was as the picture was extracted, her heart pounding in her chest as she listened to the detective.

"This was pulled from the CCTV footage from the corridor close to the ice chest your wife was heading towards. This man appears on the film shortly before Sam comes into shot. Do you recognise him? Have you noticed anyone paying special attention to your movements since you arrived here?" Jo studied the grainy photograph, trying to recall any fleeting glimpse she might have caught of the stranger captured on film. Her frustration was written clearly on her face and Sofia reached out to place a hand on her forearm. "Don't worry if you don't recognise him, it was a long shot. We've circulated this picture to the media, someone will know him or have seen him."

"What else does the film show? Can I see it? I want to see who took Sam and what they did to her to make her go with them." Jo's gaze hardened, anger bubbling beneath the surface at the thought of anyone laying a finger on the most precious person in her life.

* * *

Sam's head was spinning, it was a good job the room was so dark or she might have lost what little sustenance she had been granted. Her heart was racing. She felt a giggle bubble up deep from within her at the irony of that – it was the only part of her going anywhere, she couldn't move beyond blinking her eyelids, her muscles were solid and uncooperative. She considered that fact didn't worry her like she knew it should – oh yeah, that'd be why. She felt the already familiar sting of a needle being driven into her vein and then a spreading warmth as the narcotics were plunged into her system. Whatever it was that they kept shooting her full of was potent stuff but strangely not all that unpleasant. Quite the opposite, she felt great… no, better than great, she felt out of this world. She felt another laugh threaten to gurgle out of her at that thought, out of her mind and off her face maybe but still very much in the same world. She didn't want to enjoy it, she didn't want the hands to feel so good, she knew she should feel repulsed, defiled even, but try as she might, she just couldn't find anything about the touch that didn't ignite fires inside her. Her skin was alive everywhere the gentle caresses passed over. Even the fact that she couldn't move barely registered in her addled mind once the new influx of liquid fire spread throughout her body, mingling with the dwindling effects of the last dose and re-stoking the flames anew. And then all coherent thought escaped her once again, disjointed flashes of memories fogging her brain, fleeting yet inescapable as though she was watching someone splice together a slide show of her life in random sequence; the good, the bad and the downright ugly. Her head was a miscellany of mixed emotions; she wanted to laugh and cry, to scream in frustration and in ecstasy in equal measure, to push the hands away which groped her and to pull them inside her to where she needed release.

* * *

"Just what part of this did you think was a good idea?" Brass hissed at the young detective as he slammed his office door behind her.

"She needs to know what's going on Jim. Put yourself in her shoes, she's miles away from home, from anyone she knows and the one person she does know has disappeared from the hotel where she is still staying. Do you not think she might like to be kept in the loop with the investigation? She's a cop Jim, she's not about to go shooting her mouth off to the media or anyone else…"

"No but she might take matters into her own hands and launch her own investigation. For the love of God Sofia, we can't let her see that video. How would you answer her questions about the vanishing man? We don't have any clue ourselves. And as you've pointed out, she knows no one here except the victim so what is it likely to achieve? I feel for her, I do, but there's no way." Captain Brass concluded.

"Well, you tell her that then. I'm not prepared to break her heart any more than it's already been broken. If you keep her in the dark, you're more likely to drive her to take matters into her own hands. Feed her some information, make her feel like we're including her in our investigation and she's more likely to remain cooperative." Sofia insisted, leaning over Brass's desk, palms flat against the cheap veneer.

Brass's response was cut off by his phone ringing, the shrill noise slicing through the tense atmosphere in the office. "Brass," he barked into the receiver. Listening for a few moments, his face grew ever more grave before he ended the call with a curt, "we'll be there right away." Sofia raised an eyebrow and waited for the captain to fill her in. "Highway patrol have just discovered a woman's body at the roadside about ten blocks from the hotel where our vic went missing. Cath and Sara are on their way over there now, I suggest we do the same." Sofia glanced out towards the corridor where Jo was still waiting restlessly.

"What do we tell her?" She asked, her heart sinking.

Brass walked to the door without responding, opening it and asking for Jo to come in. He closed the door behind her and asked her to take a seat.

"What is it?" Jo looked at their faces having seen the expression on her colleagues' faces too many times not to know something was wrong.

"A woman's body has been found close by the hotel. We've no details at the moment so we don't know if it is your wife or not. Myself and Detective Curtis are heading over there now and the crime scene investigators are already en route. We'll not keep you waiting any longer than is absolutely necessary before we can let you know if it's her or not, you have my word. In the meantime, I can get a patrol car to take you back to your hotel." Brass's voice was soft and compassionate as he relayed the information to the stricken woman. He watched her steel herself with some difficulty.

"I'd rather wait here if it's all the same to you." There was a finality to her tone which brooked no argument and time being of the essence, Brass acceded to her request without complaint.

* * *

"What've we got?" Catherine approached the yellow crime scene tape, eyes already scanning the perimeter and the gathering crowd. Sara was a few steps behind her, the hairs on the back of her neck standing on end as she felt the same strange sense of being watched that had dogged her since leaving the hotel after the murders. She studied the crowd intently determined to pick out a familiar face, frustrated when she found none.

"Body dump by the looks of it. David's already here." The young police officer informed them after checking both their ID badges. He held the tape up for them both to duck under and returned his attention to keeping the media and the steadily growing crowd out of the crime scene.

"Hey David, what can you tell us?" Sara, camera already in hand, looked down on the medical examiner as he crouched beside the remains of a woman who from her position face down in the dirt bore an alarming resemblance to the missing British tourist.

"Sara, Catherine." David acknowledged them both, busying his hands with taking readings and documenting his findings, part of his routine when called to a scene. "I didn't want to disturb her too much until you arrived so you could photograph her in situ but I can tell you she's been dead for around 6-7 hours already. Rigor mortis is advanced but not completely developed. Her body temperature, given the conditions, would support that time frame too." Sara snapped off a couple of shots with the digital camera.

"Ok let's roll her," David directed, waiting for assistance before manoeuvring the body onto its back.


	9. FBI & Family

"It's not her, it's not your wife." Sofia addressed Jo as soon as they returned to the stationhouse. Jo sunk back into a chair, not sure whether to feel relief or dread, fearing that it was only a matter of time before… Her mind could not bear to complete that thought but she was a police officer. She knew that the first few hours were vital to finding abductees alive, and those precious hours were racing away, dwindling along with her hopes of ever seeing her wife again. Her mind conjured all sorts of worst case scenarios, her many years as a police officer fuelling her darkest thoughts as she recalled her experiences of the terror, pain and torture human beings were capable of inflicting on one another. A hand on her arm brought her back to the present.

"I'm sorry, what was that?" Jo asked seeing the expectant faces around her obviously waiting for a response to a question she had failed to hear.

"I was asking if you wanted someone to take you back to the hotel." Sofia reiterated taking a seat alongside the brunette.

"I… uh… I don't know… I don't know what to do, where to go." Jo muttered so quietly that Sofia was unconvinced she had been meant to hear the words. "Are you absolutely certain it's not her? I couldn't bear to hear somewhere down the line that I'd been waiting for her and all the time she was here in a morgue, just another Jane Doe." Jo wanted so desperately to believe that Sam was coming back to her but fear gripped her heart in it's icy hold and refused to let go.

"Unless you're wife had a tattoo of a phoenix on her chest that you didn't care to share with us, we're positive it's not her." Sofia watched the brunette release a breath she had been unaware of holding, her façade threatening to crumble. Sensing that the stoic officer would not choose to show her emotions in such a public setting, Sofia laid a hand gently on her forearm. "Let me drive you back to the hotel. There's nothing more you can do here for the time being." Jo rose unsteadily to her feet and acquiesced without a word. She allowed herself to be steered towards an unmarked car, eyes unseeing, ears deaf to the world around her, she felt as though she were drowning in a sea with no sign of rescue on the horizon. An icy cold fear gripped at Jo's heart causing her to stop abruptly, the young police officer escorting her bumping into her back.

"No, I can't go back to the hotel. I want to see that video, the one you brought me down here to view. I've got to see it." There was a note of finality in the stoic Brit's voice, a weary resignation and just a faint trace of desperation at the chance of being able to see her lover again, even if it was only a grainy image on a television screen.

"If that's what you really need to do right now, I'll take you over to the lab myself but I need you to assure me you won't do anything stupid like race off on a mission to find whoever did this on your own. I'm sticking my neck on the line showing you this tape. The investigation won't be helped any if I've got to look out for a loose cannon." Sofia urged, studying the older woman intently for any signs that she would do just that.

"You have my word I won't interfere. All I want is my wife back, if I can help in any way I will do so gladly but I'm not about to jeopardise any attempt to track her down, no matter what. I know how it works Detective." Jo's eyes were clear and focused as she answered, no sign of even the slightest flicker that would give the other woman cause to doubt her word.

* * *

"Nick, get them to run the MO through all the databases, see if there's anything remotely similar to this happened anywhere else." Catherine could not stop figuratively scratching her head over the cause for the disappearing vision of the man who appeared to have snatched their missing British tourist. She hoped that by widening the net, they might strike lucky with another case – either a solved one or a cold case, at this point she was not fussy. The Texan investigator gave a quick nod of affirmation before turning on his heel and hurrying off to relay the message. Catherine knew he would hover over the technician's shoulder as the search was run, such was his diligence, and only return once he had satisfied himself that all the results were in.

"Anything from trace yet?" Sara asked looking up from the sheet of telephone call listings she had been studying intently.

"No results as yet but they're backed up from the day shift. I've asked the guys to make it next on the list. How did you get on running the bite mark cast through the databases? Any hits?" Catherine leaned over to read over Sara's shoulder, subconsciously. Sara breathed in Catherine's subtle scent, feeling a warmth blossom inside her, a feeling she hadn't experienced in a long time, one that filled her with hope and longing. She frowned, desperately trying to remain professional and detached, fearing rejection from Catherine if her feelings were discovered.

"Nothing," she drawled, "so he's either never left marks before or he's a rookie. From the scene, I'd lean towards the former, didn't strike me as a first timer's crime scene." Subconsciously, Sara leaned into Catherine ever so slightly, a tiny movement which the strawberry blonde noted and filed away for later consideration. "If he does it somewhere else before we can catch him though, it'll flag up and alert investigators to contact us." Sara paused, "how do you think he did it? Disappeared like that from the video? The techs have been crawling all over it and so far can't find any way that it could have been doctored."

"There's got to be a rational explanation for it, something that they've just not come across before or not considered. No one can just disappear on a whim, it's physically impossible." Catherine concluded.

"I wouldn't be so sure of that." A crisp voice neither of the CSI's recognised drawled from behind them causing them both to spin round to find the source of the speech.

"Who are you and how did you get into this lab? This is a restricted area." Catherine felt her irritation rising as she looked at the shorter red-head, feeling the brilliant green eyes boring back into her, assessing her thoroughly. The superior expression she wore gave the impression that she found Catherine lacking in some department.

"That would be my doing." Nick sheepishly popped his head round the doorjamb following after their uninvited guest. Cath, Sara, meet Agent Scully of the FBI. Apparently something about our case set alarms bells off in Washington DC and they've sent Agent Scully here to give us a hand." Catherine's irritation was fuelled further by the inference that the FBI assumed they would need assistance to solve this case.

"Agent Scully, it's appreciated that the FBI consider us worthy of your presence but I'm sure we can manage just fine on our own, as we always do." Catherine fought an overwhelming urge to step in front of Sara as the shorter red-head openly checked her out. For her part, Sara was unusually quiet, though the look on her face suggested she was inwardly fuming too.

"Under ordinary circumstances, I'd be inclined to agree. I'm not here to step on anyone's toes and I'm willing to discuss my experience of a similar case with anyone who has an open mind." Scully looked pointedly at Catherine, challenging the older woman to keep pushing her and see how far it took her.

"I've just come from the lab Dana… oh I see we're already playing nice with the locals." Another stranger appeared behind Scully, immediately sensing the palpable tension lingering between two redheads. Wanting to diffuse the situation before it became any more highly charged, the newcomer stepped in between Agent Scully and Catherine Willows. "I'm Agent Monica Reyes, FBI. We heard you had a strange case on your hands and since strange is our stock in trade, thought you might like a couple of extra heads to help get this guy before he strikes again." Nick's cellphone chimed, he ducked out the door swiftly to answer it grateful to escape the tense atmosphere. The tall, dark-haired agent thrust a hand forward, hoping to reach out to the two Las Vegas CSI's, knowing it would be a very long few days, or however long it took, if there was open hostility.

Sara spoke for the first time since either woman had entered the room, her voice wary but respectful. "I'm Sara Sidle and this is Catherine Willows. Not meaning to be blunt but what exactly is the FBI interested in a missing tourist for? Is she on the Most Wanted list or something?" The tall slender brunette deliberately kept her voice light, her interest piqued by their sudden arrival as much as it irked her that the FBI felt they could butt in whenever they chose with no prior warning or contact.

Reyes looked Sara straight in the eyes, reading her expression carefully before crafting her answer, an answer which left the CSI feeling exposed and naked. "I realise it's a bit of an imposition, us turning up unannounced, but we only heard about your case and it's unusual qualities while we were investigating another incident in Death Valley. While we were so close, we thought, since we have what you might call expertise in the unusual, we'd stop on by and lend a hand, if you're willing to have us on board? You never know, with our connections, we might just prove useful." Despite her unease at having been read so easily, Sara found herself warmed by the spirit contained in the attractive brunette's voice. The passion for her work radiated from her in waves and the lithe CSI found herself captivated by it, swept along in the tide of enthusiasm, relishing the chance to make use of all resources to find the missing woman. She turned to Catherine, whose face was still set in a stony mask of distaste.

"What's the harm Cath? Anything to find this woman before she becomes another candidate for Doc Robbins has to be a good thing." Blue eyes flashed dangerously in Sara's direction, conveying a multitude of feelings.

"No one is interested in glory gathering here," Reyes continued, "our only concern is offering assistance. If it's not wanted or needed, we'll get out of your hair and investigate our own part of it separately but it really would be in everyone's best interests if we share all our resources and information. There's no point in running the same tests twice now is there?"

"Of course we will co-operate fully with you Agents Scully and Reyes." Grissom appeared in the doorway, Nick having filled him in after completing his phone call. "Any information you need to see, I'm sure Catherine and Sara will be glad to run it down with you." He looked pointedly at the pair of CSI's, Catherine's irritation sparked even further to a dangerous level. With a curt nod, she stalked out of the room, heading in the direction of the locker room. The other three women watched her go, each lost in their own thoughts regarding the departure. Grissom cleared his throat, bringing their attention back into the room. "Our first request of your expertise would be to ask you to shed light, if you can, on why Nick's search for similar cases returned a classified file which we are not able to access."

Sara watched Scully and Reyes exchange a pointed look, seemingly communicating telepathically and judging from the expressions they both wore, there was a slight disagreement happening. Her mind turned inwards, recalling the last time she had seen two people so easily able to communicate their feelings without the need for words, having witnessed the same level of understanding pass between Jo Masters-Nixon and her now missing wife only hours before her abduction.

* * *

Jo watched transfixed as she requested the tape to be rolled yet again, her mind reeling as she watched her wife appear on the grainy image only to be dragged out of it again by a man who seemed to possess the ability to disappear into thin air. She ran a hand through her unkempt auburn locks, a crushing tiredness and desolation rolling over her in waves but still she forced her eyes to focus on the small screen before her. Sofia watched her torment, mentally admonishing herself for putting the distraught woman through this.

"I just don't see how it happened. Sam is an intelligent woman, she's a good copper, she's naturally wary of strangers. But she didn't struggle, she didn't fight him, not at all. What did he do to her?" The question was a rhetorical one, Jo knew the detective was in no place to answer it.

"I'm sorry it hasn't helped you seeing that…," Sofia began only to be cut off by Jo.

"No I'm the one who's sorry, sorry I can't help, sorry I let Sam go for ice, sorry I suggested we come to Las Vegas. I'm going to have to tell them aren't I? Her family back home. She's not coming back is she?" Jo felt her stoic façade crumbling as Sam was dragged out of shot once again, a lump rising in her throat which was already tender from stifling tears. Sofia ushered Archie out of the lab closing the door and the blinds behind him to offer the woman some semblance of privacy.

"It's not your fault, you can't blame yourself for the fact that you were in the wrong place at the wrong time. It might be helpful to talk to her family, at least then you'll have some support through this instead of going through it alone. I can take you to the precinct, you can call them from there and don't push them into staying at home if they really feel they want to be with you. Don't give up hope that Sam'll come back to you, don't ever give up that hope while it's there." Sofia laid a gentle hand on the British woman's forearm, comforting her as best she could in the circumstances.

"You're not at all what I'd expect from an American detective, not at all what the media would have us believe. Does it not get annoying constantly being portrayed as trigger happy, butch, gung-ho cowboys? I know of a few English officers who get irritated by the bad press we get." Jo fought to seek a safer topic of conversation, needing the distraction to reign in her emotions and gather her control. Sensing this need, Sofia allowed the diversion.

"If you believed everything that was in the media, English people would either all be state benefit junkies, hooded mobs or upper class posers who like nothing better than to show off their latest flashy sports car or country house! And since I presume that's nowhere near the real picture either, let's just say I take it all with a pinch of salt and let it wash over me." The blonde detective answered with a wry smile.

"Thank you, for taking time with me and letting me do this. Regardless of what you think, it has helped a little, knowing how it happened, how she was taken. At least it doesn't look like she was hurt, at least not there." Jo chewed on the inside of her lower lip, still struggling to tamp down her tears.

"There's no evidence of it at the hotel, but you didn't hear that from me ok?" Sofia gazed imploringly at her companion.

"It's ok, I know I can't discuss anything you say with anyone else and I really do appreciate your trust in me."

* * *

The phone sounded startlingly loud in the late night hush, rousing Gary from his sleep with a start. He glowered at the garish green digits of the digital clock which announced it was just after midnight. Grumbling to himself about who on earth would be ringing at that hour, he reached over and snatched the phone off the hook.

"Hello?" he grunted groggily into the receiver, ready to give whoever it was a verbal ear bashing.

"Gary, it's Jo." The line was crystal clear and the only evidence of the distance was a slight delay between him speaking and her response. Her voice sounded tired and strained, not at all like he would expect her to sound on honeymoon.

"Jo, how's it going? Everything ok? What time is it there?" His bad mood dissolved at the sound of his good friend's voice.

"It's coming up for twenty past eight, sorry it's late there isn't it? I forgot about the time difference. I'll call back later." Jo felt her resolve to fill Sam's daughter in waning as she spoke from across the Atlantic ocean.

"No, it's ok, I'm awake. What's up? You don't sound so good, is everything ok with you and Sam? You haven't had a fight or anything have you?" Gary was concerned for a woman who had become like a sister to him whilst they worked together, a bond that had only grown with time.

"Is Abi with you? I need to talk to her about Sam, something's happened." Jo hated half telling Gary, knowing he would start panicking until he knew the whole story.

"She's in Joey's nursery, he's having a bad time with colic at the minute. Do you want me to wake her or can you tell me and I'll fill her in?" His heart was beginning to race, Jo's cryptic phone call and the increasingly obvious distress in her voice were seriously concerning him. "What's happened to Sam, Jo? Do we need to get over there?"

There was a longer pause as Jo debated mentally whether to tell Gary and leave him with the responsibility of informing Sam's pregnant daughter. Just when Gary thought the connection had been lost, Jo spoke again, her voice ravaged with the pain she felt, "she's missing Gary, someone abducted her from the hotel." Those were the only words she could choke out before the tears she had long held at bay broke through the dam she had contained them with. Sofia gently unfurled her fist from the telephone receiver and took over the conversation.

"This is Detective Sofia Curtis with the Las Vegas Police Department, can I ask who I'm speaking to please?" Sofia listened as Gary explained who he was and his connection to Jo and Sam. "Sam was taken from the hotel she and her wife were staying in just after noon today. We're doing everything we can to trace her but I do think it might be beneficial if someone could be here to support Jo. Is there any chance of that being possible?" Gary asked the detective to leave it with him and that he would make sure someone was on the earliest available flight to Las Vegas. He took down the contact number he was given, repeating it back to make sure he had heard correctly before ending the conversation with a heavy sigh.


	10. Lights, Camera, Action

"_... joy and sorrow are inseparable. . . together they come and when one sits alone with you . . . remember that the other is asleep upon your bed." Kahlil Gibran_

**Authors Note: I feel it necessary to put a warning on the beginning of this chapter – it contains references to sexual violence so proceed with caution if this is a sensitive topic for you. I hope it's not too graphic and I hope it doesn't cause offence or distress to anyone. If it does, I am truly sorry. **

**As always, I love to hear what you think of the chapters – be it good, bad or indifferent, all feedback is gratefully received. And thank you to those who keep sticking with this story and reviewing, even though my updates are sporadic at best.

* * *

**Catherine stormed out of the building heading for her car with little care for anyone or anything around her. She had just had yet another pep talk from Grissom regarding the FBI's involvement in their case, warning her to cooperate or risk upsetting the apple cart with Ecklie. She might have known that sleaze was behind this, he seemed to assume the night shift were totally incompetent of solving anything on their own. It didn't help that Sara seemed so at ease working with the newcomers, the dark haired one especially. Sure she was good looking in an arrogant sort of way but Sara was practically drooling over her. An irrational jealousy had taken hold of her, forcing her to address her feelings for the younger CSI once and for all. Catherine had suspected for some time that her original animosity towards Sara had only half been caused by the female competition, the remainder was due to a scary attraction to the brunette which wouldn't go away, no matter how much she tried to ignore it. As the years rolled on and Catherine began to see more of the person behind the tough exterior, she found herself less threatened by Sara's presence and more in need of the friendship and support being tentatively offered. The more she accepted that friendship, the more complete she felt she became, as though a void within her was slowly filling up as she opened her heart to the possibility that someone truly cared about her. She had reasoned with herself in the locker room after Gil's initial announcement that they would cooperate with the Feds that her jealousy had been sparked by the easy manner in which Sara conversed with the agent who had introduced herself as Reyes. After a period of contemplation though, she acknowledged that it was the open way that Reyes had admired Sara, seeming to assess her thoroughly with a glance and like what she saw, that this is what had sparked not just a flicker but a raging inferno of jealousy within her. She spent another good while berating herself for assuming she held that level of importance in Sara's life that she had any right to feel jealous. Of course Sara would attract other admirers, she was a very beautiful woman with a physique to die for. Catherine unlocked her car, still heedless of her surroundings, lost in her own world, not feeling the eyes upon her until a hand covered her mouth and a bitter tang coated her tongue as she fought to breathe or scream. All too soon, the world receded and blackness like she'd never known before enveloped her.

* * *

"…told you…brunette…this blonde?" The disembodied voice broke through Sam's haze, sounding agitated as it came closer. Another voice sounded, somewhere to her left, or at least she thought it was her left, details were a little sketchy.

"…was easier…distracted…never saw a thing…didn't have to…disappear." Heavy footsteps approached followed by a sharp slap and a grunt.

"Idiot! Anyone could have seen you!" The fog was lifting as Sam lay perfectly still, scared to move in case her consciousness was discovered by her captors. "Get her in here. How much did you give her? She gonna be out for a while? This other one still looks gone, would have thought she'd be coming out of it again by now." The voice began to sound dubious. Sam felt the air around her shift as a body crouched over her, checking her pulse.

"Relax, she's probably just exhausted from all the fun we've been having, let her sleep. Once the latest girl wakes up, then we can have some real fun – the guys on the Net will be throwing cash at us to film these two. Look at what a stunning couple they make!" The fainter voice grew more and more excited as he spoke. Sam felt an arm fall next to her own on the dirty mattress beneath her, a limp lifeless arm which she had to presume belonged to the new girl they were discussing.

"I gotta admit, it is a damn hot sight. I just hope you're right and no one saw you take her. Talk about right under their noses!! You like playing with fire don't you?" Both men laughed, a door closing behind their retreating voices. Sam lay still until she was sure they were truly gone. As she opened one eye cautiously, pain like she'd never known exploded in her head, driving through her pupil and into the very core of her brain. Nausea washed over her making her gag and wretch. Her thoughts were still fuzzy. She had no idea where she was or how long she had been there but she did remember how she had come to be in America. Her heart twisted and clenched at the thought of what Jo must be going through, having experienced the pain of loss herself when Jo was abducted. At least in London though, she had been surrounded by family and friends to help her cope. A solitary tear escaped from her eye as she thought of Jo struggling alone to deal with Sam's disappearance. The blonde honeymooner did not let herself dwell on thoughts of never seeing her wife again, knowing that she would give up any fight she had in her should she come to that conclusion. While there was breath in her body, she knew she would go on fighting to find a way to be reunited with her true love. Steeling herself against another blast of nausea-inducing pain, Sam turned her head towards her new companion, opening her eyes just enough to let them adjust to the light in the room where they were being held captive. She recognised the face, so still and serene beside her, but could not place where from in her addled brain. Footsteps in the corridor snapped her head back to its original position, her eyes firmly closed for fear of discovery.

* * *

"I'm sure everything will be fine Abi. The detective I spoke to said they were doing everything they could to find Sam. She's a fighter, she'll be ok." Gary tried to soothe his fractious partner, knowing that her stress levels were potentially dangerous for the life being nurtured inside of her.

"For once, I agree with Gary." Phil muttered from his seat on the other side of the aisle. Gary had phoned him as soon as he had filled Abi in on Jo's phone call. The women's colleague had insisted on joining him and Abi on their Trans-Atlantic flight, hoping he could be of some practical use. The rest of the team had seemed relieved to hear how insistent he was on going, including Jack, all too worried about the pair who seemed beset by bad luck.

"She's my mum. These two have already been through so much, why can't they just have some happiness? Why do bad things always happen to them? It's not fair, it's just not fair." Abi's tears began anew, Gary gathering her in his arms and trying his best to comfort her. It was bad enough that her mother was missing, but Abi was also struggling to deal with leaving Joey behind, despite him being in the capable hands of her aunt. Phil sat back in his seat, his own concern gnawing away at him, a deep-seated anger bubbling within him at the thought of someone harming Sam.

* * *

Gil Grissom watched Sara approach his office door, a wistful look on his face as he wondered what might have been between them had he had the courage to accept her advances when she had made them. He shook his head slightly, knowing that boat had long since sailed and that her affections lay elsewhere now, although they were still not very far away. It did not surprise Grissom that Sara had transferred her desire to another CSI, work was her life and so the only place she got to meet anyone. It followed that naturally, she should look for companionship, and love, amongst those she spent the majority of her waking time with. The fact that it was Catherine who had ignited Sara's passion was more of a shock, neither woman having displayed Sapphic tendencies before, rather being red-blooded man lovers the pair of them. He wondered if either knew of the other's great affection for each other, judging by the palpable tension surrounding them constantly, he doubted it.

"Hey Gris, you seen Cath?" Sara stuck her head around the door, oblivious to her superior's mental meanderings.

"Not for an hour or so, last I saw, she was headed out to her car to get some air. Something you need a hand with?" The senior CSI raised one eyebrow as he regarded his young protégée.

"Just wanted to make sure she was ok after earlier and everything, with the Feds. She seemed a bit off her game." Sara wore a concerned frown, an expression Gil found adorable on her.

"When you find her, I'm sure she'll be very grateful for your concern Sara. You two really do seem to have sorted out your differences now, does this mean I'm safe letting you loose together without needing to check in on you?" There was an amused sparkle in the older man's eyes as he addressed his employee.

"We haven't needed you checking in on us for a coupl'a months now Gris, but since when does that stop you?" Sara playfully chided. "Once you get past that tough exterior, there's a really nice woman underneath." Sara admitted, feeling a rush of colour touch her cheeks. "I'm going to go check outside, see if she's still seething in her car." Sara exclaimed in a rush, suddenly needing air as Grissom's knowing stare bore right through her. For the second time that day, she felt as though anyone could read her like a book, and that scared her. More than anything, Sara prided herself on being able to guard her feelings, her true self, from those she didn't care to see the real her. The thought that those defences could be dissolved so easily shook her. Her mind was still preoccupied as she stepped outside the lab into the deserted car park. Snapping back to the task at hand, Sara looked around for Catherine's car, the older woman having take time out during the shift to collect her own car having grabbed the lift with Sara when the call came in regarding the missing tourist. She spotted the unassuming vehicle tucked away in the back corner. With long strides, Sara made short work of the distance across the parking lot, her strides shortening and slowing as she spotted a bunch of keys on the ground close to the driver's door. Sara circled the car at a distance, assessing it as she would a scene and not wanting to disturb anything. Hairs on the back of her neck were prickling, an uneasy sensation that something was amiss settling in the pit of her stomach and growing with each passing moment as she found no trace of Catherine but slight signs of a struggle. She felt loathe to leave the scene unattended, even though it was only a short distance back inside. Instead she reached for her cellphone and hit speed-dial 1, patching her straight through to Grissom.

"Sara?" Grissom's voice sounded in her ear, a note of confusion in his tone.

"Catherine's gone, I think she's been taken too." It was all the brunette needed to say, her supervisor hanging up without another word, already grabbing his crime scene kit and on his way outside.

* * *

Sam was shivering and jittery when the door to the room re-opened and her captors returned.

"Morning babe, feeling the pinch this morning are we? Let me see what I can do to take the edge off for you." Sam willed herself to fight, to resist the attempts to shoot her veins full of the powerful drug even as she desperately craved it. Her attempts were feeble and futile, the two men working together to hold her steady as a hypodermic needle was pushed into her arm. She felt warmth return to her body, a slow fire that spread outwards from the injection site, her muscles relaxing as the toxin coursed through her bloodstream. "Just a little this morning, I want you to stay with us today and help us welcome your new friend." The words started to recede from Sam's consciousness until a sharp pinch on her naked thigh jerked her back awake.

"He said stay awake bitch." Another voice sounded behind her, presumably belonging to the man who held her steady. "You got a starring role to play in a nice little film today. We're going to get you cleaned up, need you looking at your best." Sam felt herself being hauled to her feet, her legs unwilling to cooperate with the sudden demands placed on them. With her nude body suspended between them, the two men half carried, half dragged their captive to a small bathroom, sitting her in the bath tub before turning on the shower attachment. Cold water sprayed over Sam's body, expelling her breath from her lungs at the shock she tried to scuttle away from the freezing jet.

"Hold still, it'll come warmer in a minute." The first voice spoke to her again. He sounded kinder than the other guy. She laughed inwardly at the thought that either of these men could be classed as kind given the torture she had been subjected to so far. Despite the intense chill of the water, Sam's hands began to scrub at her skin wherever she had been touched and violated, a frenzied action which drew a cruel laugh from one of her captors. She tried to turn her head towards the sound, to show him the level of her disgust but her face was forced back towards the front of the shower allowing her not even a glimmer of a glance.

"What's the problem with her looking at you? You know the drugs make it impossible to recognise us." One of the men, the more brutal one, said to his companion.

"Doesn't mean to say I want her looking at me with a face like that though, does it? Puts me right off my stride that does," the other guy answered.

"You're such a poof!" The retort was light-hearted, an obvious genuine affection between the two men evident.

"Fuck you!" Came the less than warm-hearted reply.

"You wish." The banter continued, the two men seeming to have forgotten about Sam who was left to her scrubbing in the tub. Suddenly, the water was shut off and strong hands gripped the undersides of Sam's upper arms, hauling her back to her feet. She was roughly towel-dried and a brush dragged through her knotted hair making her wince and cry out more than once. "Beautiful, just perfect for your film debut now." Sam felt a hand slap her bottom in a very over-familiar gesture. She attempted to spin round and face the demon who had touched her only to be guided back towards the squalid mattress by the other man. Through the drug induced haze she was carrying, she could make out the outline of another body arranged on the bed, hands and feet bound so that she was spread-eagled and exposed. Sam sensed one of the men leave her side, movement caught the corner of her eye as he crossed to a video camera trained on the scene before them. She heard a whisper in her ear and struggled to concentrate on making out the words, feeling that they must be important but not understanding them. The room seemed to swim before her eyes before her vision re-focused and her world was righted. The scene before her had disintegrated as though she had awoken from a particularly bad nightmare and she found herself back in the hotel room with her beautiful wife, the buxom woman beckoning her to come back to bed. Sam willingly complied, the fires that burned within her for her gorgeous bedfellow as strong as they ever were, her heart overjoyed to be reunited with Jo.


	11. Final Curtain

_**A/N: Wow, this has been a long time coming! My muse had finally decided that there is some merit to continuing with this and I apologise that it has taken so long to get anything new out. I'm still working on this and my other currently on-going story, No Matter What, both of which are turning out to be longer than I anticipated. However, I shall write whenever I can and update in the same vein.**_

_**Once again, there are some references to sexual assault in this, nothing graphic, but if it causes you distress then please look away.**_

_**I don't own any characters from either The Bill or CSI or X-Files, they're just here having an adventure. I don't make any profit from this so please don't sue me!! I mean, we can divide zero as many times as you like but we'll still all come up with zippo!**_

_**Enough rambling. I hope you enjoy and whether you do or you don't, please let me know what you think by reviewing. Thanks to all you lovely people who do read this. Hope to update again soon.**_

* * *

"Preliminary reports from the bodies show no signs of semen but there are signs of sustained penetration with both victims. That means he's either using a condom – but that doesn't explain the lack of pubic hairs – or he's sodomising his victims with something else." Dana Scully flicked through the medical examiner's report, sharing salient points with Reyes as she lay sprawled at Dana's feet, tenderly massaging them. Theirs was a very easy and comfortable relationship, although it had taken a long while to develop. Frostiness had gradually given way to friendship and then that one night had changed everything, that one night when they both thought all hope was lost and they only had each other to cling to. They still clung to one another long after the danger had passed, initially unable to slake the desire for bringing ecstasy to the other. That new-love lust had decreased a notch and whilst both women were capable of explosive love making when time and mood was on their side, they were able to be in each other's company without the need to tear their clothes off.

"That red-head didn't take too well to us cutting in did she?" Reyes mused, wincing apologetically as she found a particularly sore spot on Dana's right foot. "Why do you insist on wearing those killer heels when you know this is what it does to your poor feet?"

"How else could I persuade you to give me a foot rub?" Dana grinned, blowing a kiss at her partner. "I can't say I cared much for the reception we got from Ms Willows but I can understand it. If I were in her position, I wouldn't want someone else sniffing around my case either – especially not a high profile one such as this."

"Do you think it's him? Or do we have more than one ex-Army guy running around with the alarming ability to disappear when you look at him?" Reyes asked, her expression growing serious.

"Can't be the same guy, we shot him, I saw the body. Hell I even did an autopsy on him! And I've seen many things in my time on the X-Files but that one I've yet to come across. The similarities bother me though, as does the administrations refusal to release any information about the last case involving a man capable of manipulating people's perception of what is there and what is not."

"Surely though, these people must share some sort of predisposition to being manipulated?" Reyes queried.

"I thought that too, before I witnessed a man disappearing before my own eyes. Would you say I have a predisposition to being manipulated?" Scully responded, gazing down at her partner in every sense of the word.

"I wouldn't say so. Except for…" Monica shuffled closer, running her hands up the backs of the petite red-heads calf, massaging the solid muscles and leaning down to kiss the areas her hands had vacated.

"That's lust not manipulation, and it's also not playing fair!" Dana squirmed under the tender ministrations, tossing the case file to one side as she drew the other woman closer to her.

"What can I say? I can't help it if I find you irresistible!" Two pairs of lips collided in a passionate kiss as the two agents reaffirmed their deep love for one another.

Scully's last coherent thought was, 'ok so maybe not always able to control the passion!'

* * *

Sam slowly became aware of her surroundings once again. She felt the warmth of a body beside her but there was something wrong; the curves were more angular, the flesh more sinewy. The more she awoke, the more convinced she was that she was currently in bed with someone other than her wife. Her addled brain struggled to piece together any recollection of the last few hours, days, weeks, she wasn't sure how long it had been since she could really recall any solid definite memory. The wedding, she knew that was real. Her heart still thudded in her chest at the remembrance of Jo standing by the celebrant ready to pledge her life to her lover. The emotions that memory invoked told Sam all she needed to know but everything beyond that point seemed hazy. Her body felt stiff and sore, as though she had worked out too long at the gym; a heaviness in her limbs which ordinarily she would associate with extreme use, but her brain failed to place her in such a situation, especially not one which would see her choosing to spend the night with a woman other than her wife. A door unlocking filled her with a sense of dread; the fear of being discovered by the one woman who held her heart in the palm of her hand she surmised, although the bone chilling terror did not sit well with that scenario. If nothing else, Sam knew without a doubt, Jo could never physically hurt her. Her brain whizzed through numerous possibilities, assessing and discarding in the blink of an eye. The voice which floated through the remaining fog surrounding her brain brought her predicament into startling clarity.

"Wake up ladies, time for your final curtain."

* * *

"Sara!" A young voice cut through the din which the weary CSI was desperately trying to block out as she struggled to focus dispassionately on the evidence in front of her. She turned her head, scanning the pressing crowd for the source of the voice, her eyes locking on Catherine's daughter, Lindsey. "What happened? Where's Mom?" A keen intelligence burned brightly behind the younger Willows woman's eyes.

"We don't know anything yet honey but I promise I'll tell you as soon as we do ok?" Sara addressed the distraught young girl, fearing that she would camp out at the already crowded lab until Catherine was returned to them.

"Lindsey, sweetheart, come on out here to wait. You need to let them get on with their jobs." A woman remarkably similar to Catherine attempted to usher the child out of the room, a few years older than the strawberry blonde perhaps and her eyes not nearly as striking but there was no mistaking that they shared much of their genetic makeup.

"I'm not going anywhere. I want to stay with Sara." The younger CSI thought she saw a brief flicker of recognition pass through the other woman's expression as Lindsey mentioned her name but it was gone as soon as it appeared and she could not be sure, did not dare hope that Cath had mentioned her.

"It's fine, Lins knows the deal; no touching, no looking at crime scene photos and no sneaking Greg's coffee!" Sara kept her tone deliberately light, knowing she was only torturing herself having the girl around but needing the connection to her missing colleague all the same.

"I know, I know. I brought some homework with me, can I use Mum's office?" Lindsey hefted her back pack higher onto her shoulder, her face a mixed bag of worry and weariness.

"Course you can. You want a soda, my shout?" Sara pulled herself away from the table of evidence in front of her, rooting about in her pocket for some loose change.

"I'm good thanks, I had one before we heard the news. Just find Mom, Sara, please. I know we don't always get on but she my Mom and I really like her back here with me." Tears threatened to spill from the child's eyes, who suddenly seemed so much younger than her years. Without a second thought and before Catherine's sister could move, Sara enveloped the emotional blonde in a crushing hug, whispering assurances she only hoped she could keep into her ears.

* * *

"We may have something here." Nick bellowed across the crowded lab, hoping to draw the attention of his supervisor and colleagues who were frantically working the case.

"What you got, Nick?" Warrick was the first to respond to his yell.

"More a case of what the lovely ladies from the FBI got really. I just got a call from Agent Scully; a friend of hers got to hear about a new video that had been posted online that had set the internet ablaze with talk of special effects due to a disappearing participant. He thought it was right up Agent Scully's street to investigate it, she immediately thought of our missing women." Nick spoke dispassionately, having to treat this as though his friend and colleague was not now one of those missing.

"Let's see the video then." Grissom had joined the pair, gesticulating to them that they should pull it up on the large screen.

"You might wanna close the blinds then Gris, I wouldn't want Lins seeing this and being scarred for life." Nick murmured, moving already to do just that. Once the room was shielded from inadvertent viewers, the usually jovial Texan clicked on the desktop, a large visual of Catherine and another woman filling the view screen.

"What the…?" Warrick voiced the same reaction Nick had had upon first seeing the video. They watched as the unidentified woman approached the bed where Catherine lay bound and naked.

"Is that Samantha Nixon-Masters?" Grissom asked, rifling through the folder in his arms for a photograph. Squinting at the screen, the other men concurred that it certainly did appear to be. Silence descended on the room as they watched the scene unfold, each man's jaw clenching tighter the longer the video played. They watched as the vanishing man from Sam's abduction reappeared on screen in the room with her and Catherine, stopping the feed as he went to join the action, none of them needing to watch what came next.

"I've already set the guys on tracing the ISP for this site, we'll get a name of the owner of the site and pay them a visit." Nick muttered through clenched teeth before Grissom could instruct him to do so.

"Good. Warrick, get Archie to go over every inch of that room on the video. If there's anything on there which can help us trace where it is, I want to know asap. Nick, ring Agent Scully back, tell her what we've found and see if she has any means at her disposal to try and trace any other videos from this same site or similar ones which feature our Jane Does. Doc Robbins believes that our previous victims were assaulted over a period of twenty-four hours prior to their deaths. Samantha has been missing for over eight hours now, Catherine a little over three. Time is not our friend on this one guys. Let's bring those girls home before they have to suffer any more."

* * *

Sam struggled against her bonds, her body twitchy and restless. Her head was pounding and she could not believe that she was wishing with all her might for them to inject her with whatever it was they had been giving her. She had never experienced a craving quite like the one she was in a grip of at that moment. She knew she should be trying to help the woman strapped prone on the bed, in the dim recesses of her mind, she knew that there was no happy ending to the scene developing before her but her sense refused to cooperate with the rational part of her mind.

Catherine's heart raced as she felt herself drifting back towards a more lucid state of mind. She had had the most vivid dream of making love to Sara, of finally giving in to the desires her heart and head had long since battled over. She made to roll over, pulling up short as she found herself unable to move.

Sam watched the door open, bile leaping to her throat as two masked men entered. With the drugs no longer dampening her awareness, her eyes alighted on the glinting weapon carried by the second and larger man. Tears sprung to her eyes as she thought of her daughter, her grandson, the new baby on the way and of her wife; her beautiful, amazing, incredible wife, the woman she had spent so long trying to develop a lasting relationship with only for obstacle after obstacle to be thrown in their path. She thought of how she had felt during Jo's abduction, of the keen sense of loss despite not knowing if her partner was ever coming home and she offered up a heart-wrenching silent apology to the woman who would soon have to live with that hollow grief-stricken crater. Mentally preparing herself, Sam tried to steel herself for the end, not wanting to give either man the satisfaction of seeing her fear.

Catherine tried to turn her head towards the sound of movement but found even that movement difficult. Her head felt as though it suddenly weighed at least three times as much as it ever had before. She considered her options; it could be help coming to rescue her, but then why so silent? It could be whoever had taken her in which case she would damn well go down fighting. What the hell was going on? Why couldn't she remember anything? And how the hell did they manage to get her here, wherever here was, in the first place? A voice at the end of the bed to which she was tied made her jump in the silent room.

"Excellent, you're both awake. Make it a good show ladies cos no matter what the audience want, there's going to be no encore to this one."

Both awake? Ladies? Cath's brain was racing. If she was not alone, had last night really been a dream or did they get Sara too? If not, who was this other woman? She couldn't let harm come to another while there was blood in her body, her conscience would not let her. She desperately struggled against the ropes binding her to the bed, ever more so as a gloved hand was laid against her shoulder.

* * *

"Right, let's see about finding out some things." Phil strode to the desk at the front of the Crime Lab, fixing his gaze on a youngish looking woman.

"Sir, can I help you?" the woman enquired, looking wearily up from the telephone message she had been scrawling on a pad in front of her.

"I really hope so, we've just flown in from England about Samantha Nixon-Masters." The name seemed to switch a light on behind the girl's eyes.

"If you'll take a seat for just a moment, I'll get someone right out to see you Mr…?"

"Hunter, Phil Hunter. I've got her daughter and grandson here with me." Phil impressed upon the woman the importance of receiving any news.

"I'll be right back sir." The woman scurried off leaving the phone ringing but figuring that yet another news station could wait.

* * *

Jo watched the officers stride purposefully around, wondering if any of them really had as much purpose as their walk suggested or if it was all a show designed at reassuring others that everything was under control. Since viewing the video, she had refused to return to the hotel, even for the briefest of times. She needed to be nearby, she needed to know the instant they found out anything, be it good or bad. She hoped that Abi would get there safely but was dreading seeing the young woman. How could she face her after letting her and her family down so spectacularly? Her head snapped up as a now familiar set of boots walked towards her. Rising from her chair, she asked, "anything?"

Guiding the British woman back into the seat, Sofia gently explained to Jo that there were a couple of new leads which were being investigated but that her main reason for coming to her was to let her know Sam's family had arrived at the crime lab and were being brought to the precinct. "We've set aside a room for you all, somewhere a little quieter, give you some privacy."

"That's good of you, thanks. Do you have some body armour I could borrow?" Jo quirked one side of her mouth upwards, the smile never making it even halfway to her bloodshot eyes.

"I'm sure no one is going to blame you for this." Sofia attempted to assuage the woman's guilt as she stood, wondering what the future would hold for this family. No matter how many victims of crime she dealt with, the detective found some who got to her more than others. She knew that this would be a case which stayed with her for a long while even after it ended.

* * *

"Grissom, we got something here." It was Warrick's turn to holler, numerous pairs of feet immediately dashing in his direction.


	12. To The Rescue?

**_Well, I did promise someone that I would get at least one update out this weekend so here goes nothing! This one is dedicated to cougaredainme for continuing to submit such great reviews which my muse is happily feeding on!! Thank you to all of you who have taken the time to stop on by and read this - hope you'll be gripped by this chapter and don't lose heart by the end. With this story, all is not always as it seems..._**

**_As always, I own very little in this story, certainly none of the characters who appears in such wonderful shows as The Bill, CSI and X Files. I'm just messing with their heads a bit before I return them to their rightful worlds unharmed (if suffering a little Post Traumatic Stress!!)_**

**_Feel free to hit the button at the end and review, even if just to tell me what a horrible person I am or that this chapter sucks. Whatever your thoughts, I'd love to hear them._**

* * *

"Dana, I think they're about ready to roll." Reyes murmured to her partner as she finished strapping a Kevlar vest to her. "We'll be fine."

"I was just checking, it's standard procedure." Scully responded, more sharply than she had intended. Knowing the other woman's penchant for playing the hero, she could not help but allow the jitters she was experiencing about this whole plan to affect her.

"I know, but I am assuring you that my vest is perfectly well fitted and I have every intention of coming back to you so we can continue what we started earlier." The information had come together quickly after the video feed had been analyzed. There were enough similarities to areas of the hotel from which Samantha had been taken to suggest that she had never left the building at all. A conversation with the maintenance crew revealed a seldom used storage facility in the depths of the building, contained within a maze of service corridors. A rush had been put on locating a detailed plan of the area and a plan meticulously but hurriedly formulated to storm the area with the vast array of troops at their disposal.

* * *

"Jo, please, sit down. It's bad enough I still feel like the floor is moving from being on that plane for so damn long without you adding to the motion sickness." Phil attempted to coax his colleague and friend from her silent musings. She had barely acknowledged their presence since their arrival, her appearance and demeanour causing grave concern for all around her. Even the gorgeous detective, with whom Phil had definitely felt a spark, had seemed wary of Jo's behaviour, as though she were a ticking time bomb just waiting to explode. He watched now as she sank into a nearby chair, still without a word.

"She's going to be ok Jo. They'll find her and bring her back to us, I know it. Mum wouldn't miss growing old with you, not for anything." Abi stated with true conviction. "They're going to go and do what it is they do, Mum will be there waiting to come back to us and we'll go home as a family."

Internally, Jo was screaming at the young woman not to be so naïve, that real life was not at all like that, but a tiny sliver of hope still flickered within her, wanting to believe that this was exactly how it would happen. To Abi, she just offered a watery gaze, eyes full of needless remorse, willing her to accept apologies which were neither warranted nor desired.

Seeing Jo's gaze drift towards the door, Phil stepped in front of it. "Detective Curtis assured me she would let us know the moment she got back. Let them do their job, Jo." Realising that she was a prisoner in the claustrophobic room for the foreseeable future, Jo rose to her feet and resumed her pacing, leaving the others to exchange more worried glances and silent conversations. Phil's heart went out to his detective colleague, knowing that she had already lived through a similar experience when her previous partner went missing – feared to have been abducted by a violent offender. He recognised the signs, the stages she had gone through then too and knew that a heavy fall was only just around the corner. Then though, she had had Sam to pull her through it; Sam who had reached out and breached their differences to help a friend in need, Sam who had protected Jo from some of the more prurient details of Tessa's betrayal, Sam who had help Jo as she wept and picked her up from the floor time and again. Their love had been slow to grow, both women reluctant to acknowledge it for fear of losing a good friend but that bond had undoubtedly kept Jo going. Phil truly feared for Jo if she were left to pick up the pieces without Sam, not sure that she, as strong as she was, could deal with that amount of pain and grief.

* * *

Sam watched as the other woman bucked on the bed, determined and spirited in her efforts to shuck off their captors advances. It renewed her own resolve to go down fighting, knowing that acquiescence was not an option. She pulled at the bonds holding her in place, feeling the pain as rope cut into her skin and some sort of substance held her flesh fast to the chair arms. Her efforts were rewarded with a blow to the side of her head, presumably from the second captor. She remembered seeing two men enter the room but had failed to notice where each had gone, her concentration solely resting on the one currently assaulting the woman prone on the bed. Her vision swam as the effects of the blow added to her muggy state but still she refused to cease her attempts to stop the violation being meted out to them. She felt a breeze movement nearby and braced herself for another blow, surprised when the man before her demanded no more.

"But she's screwing up the shots." A voice whined close behind Sam.

"What did you expect? That she'd just sit there looking all gormless? She's not high any more you idiot, of course she's going to fight back." The discourse was dispassionate, as though they were discussing the state of the weather, rather than the fact that one of their victims was hellbent on escaping. Sam saw fractionally before either man that the woman on the bed had released one of the ties holding down her leg. She watched in satisfaction as a well aimed kick was landed on the naked genitals of one captor.

"Bitch, you'll pay for that." The other man left his sanctuary out of view approaching the hell cat hissing, screaming and kicking for all she was worth, narrowly avoiding her flailing leg which in turn was working the bond loose on the other leg. Both men pounced on her, hitting out and doing their utmost to restrain her, ignoring all other happenings in the room. That was true at least until a commotion in the doorway attracted their sole attention as all hell was let loose inside their prison.

* * *

Sara surveyed the scene before her, wondering to whom the blood belonged and when she would be able to get a straight answer out of any of the people milling around the crime scene. The take down had been brutal, of that there could be no doubt. The room was chaotic, chairs keeled over onto their sides, bed clothes torn and strewn haphazardly, light fittings smashed from stray shots and bullet holes littering the walls.

"We need photos of everything Sara, come on you know the drill. It doesn't matter who the victim is, we still have a job to do." The lithe brunette shot a glance at her supervisor before following the incline of his head and seeing that FBI investigators were already hovering at the perimeter, just itching for an excuse to claim the scene as their own.

"But then I need to see her." Sara informed Grissom, holding his gaze levelly, her expression devoid of emotion as always. With a slight nod, he acquiesced to the deal, satisfied as his employee began snapping off shots of the room. He watched her work diligently and methodically, photographing everything in situ before indicating it was ready to be collected. Nick and Warrick followed her lead, collecting samples and evidence, heads down but alert to all that was going on and being discussed around them.

* * *

Dr Robbins heard the doors to his morgue swish open, admitting Dana Scully. He had been instructed to hold off on beginning the autopsies until she arrived, a direct order from the FBI who seemed to consider they had jurisdiction over the bodies from the take down.

"Are the bodies prepped?" No introduction, no pleasantries exchanged, just straight down to business in brusque manner.

"They're still in the bags they arrived in, as per my instructions from your colleagues in Washington. I was informed that these bodies are yours. Knock yourself out." The coroner intoned, making to leave now that he was no longer needed to babysit the corpses.

"I'd appreciate your assistance all the same." Dana informed him, understanding that the FBI had been rather heavy handed in claiming the bodies. "But I will understand if you'd find it too difficult."

* * *

Sofia watched the hospital room eagle-eyed. She knew there was very little chance of anyone sneaking past the two officers guarding the door but she was not leaving anything to chance with this case. The remaining live suspect, the only one who could shed light on the debacle which had followed them entering the room where the hostages were being held, was being kept alive by machines behind that very door across the corridor from her and she wanted to be first in that room when he woke up. She wanted to know what precisely had gone down to result in officers firing on their own men, resulting in the ensuing carnage and confusion to the point where no one was quite sure who were the good guys and who were the villains. Four innocent people were laying in a morgue because of him and his recently deceased partner. Informing the relatives of those who had perished was not a prospect which Sofia was looking forward to in the slightest. She grimaced, remembering her thoughts only a few hours earlier, knowing now that this case would indeed stay with her for many years to come. She did not pretend to understand how these men could manipulate people's perception of what was and was not there, nor did she hold with the FBI's belief that it was more than a kind of hypnotism but the more she thought of it, the more her brain hurt and so she just stopped thinking of it at all, concentrating only on bringing to justice the one man remaining who could pay for the pain and suffering this had caused. She knew that she should return to the precinct, to talk to Samantha's family and friend but had found herself unable to consider that conversation, deferring to a colleague instead.

* * *

"Sara! What happened? Where is she?" Lindsey raced towards the CSI as she returned to the lab, bag slung over her shoulder containing the evidence she had collected from the scene.

"I'll take you to her as soon as I get through with these, I promise." Sara looked the younger Willows woman dead in the eye as she spoke, urging her to see the sincerity held within them.

"They said people died in there. Is my mum alive?" The question was whispered so quietly, Sara had to strain to hear the words, although she knew in her heart what was being asked.

"Has no one spoken to you already?" The response was a watery shake of a small blonde head. "Oh Lindsey, I'm so sorry you've been made to wait so long for news. Your mum is alive, she's in hospital right now being treated for some bumps and bruises but she's going to be ok." Sara pulled the young girl closer to her, feeling the slight body tremble in her arms as emotions over came her.

* * *

"These four will have to wait, I need to start with our dead disappearing man. The powers that be are not in the mood to be kept waiting for answers on this one." Scully informed the Las Vegas coroner, indicating that the others would have to remain in the corridor which was doubling as a holding area due to the rapid influx of corpses. The diminutive doctor assisted with heaving the body onto the cold metal table, shirking off the body bag and laying the corpse out for inspection. There were at first count three bullet holes, any of which could have been the kill shot, littering the head and torso. And so Scully began her first autopsy in earnest, recording details, annotating findings and photographing anything she suspected may be related to the case. All eyes were locked on the body being carved open and dissected, all other considerations forgotten as they each strived to figure out what had happened, how the siege had ended so disastrously and how the man had been able to manipulate everyone in the room right up until his demise.

* * *

"Mrs Masters-Nixon?" Upon receiving a nod of affirmation, the man introduced himself, "I'm Detective Vega with the Las Vegas Police Department. Detective Curtis asked me to come and speak with you."

"Sam?" Jo interrupted, seeing the awkwardness in the detective's posture and knowing the news was not going to be good. She could only cling on to the last tiny sliver of hope that it would not prove to be fatal.

"My colleagues discovered earlier today where your wife was being held. They moved in and have apprehended one of the suspects." Phil sensed that the guy was struggling to put into words exactly what had happened.

"Listen mate, can we cut to the chase? We can go into the how's and why's later, right now, can you just please tell us where Sam is?" The detective eyed the British policeman carefully, assessing what information could be divulged.

"I'm sorry to have to say that shots were fired during the rescue attempt. Samantha… Sam was shot. Paramedics pronounced her dead at the scene." There was a pregnant pause with no one moving or speaking, still looking expectantly at the detective. He began to think he had not made himself clear when the woman's wife collapsed to her knees, body wracked with agonizing sobs.

* * *

**_I know, I know, how could I even think it?? Well, I guess you'll just have to tune in next time to see if it's real or if it's all just another manipulation of reality... And you know what will bring an update on quicker? See that little button right there, drop me a line and let me know what you think is the real outcome._**


	13. Reality Check

**_As always, I'd like to say a huge thank you to those of you who take the time to read this story and a specially big thank you to those who choose to review what they've read too. Me and my muse love you all!!! So here's the next installment of a story that is beginning to feel like a spouse, it's been hanging around for that long! Let me know what you think._**

**_And no, I don't own any of the characters written about in this chapter - I'd be a very happy and very rich woman if I did!!! Instead, we're all just playing in a sandbox, no harm done or intended and certainly no profit to be made here._**

**_Will try to be back at least this side of Christmas with more!!! lol_**

* * *

There was a flurry of activity outside the side room currently inhabited by the surviving captor. Sofia was up off her seat in an instant, craning her neck to see what was going on as nurses and doctors flooded into the room. They were swiftly followed by more medical personnel wheeling vital equipment and shouts which were meaningless to Sofia – all except one.

"How the hell did he get out and put someone else in this bed?"

Upon hearing that, Sofia barged through the door, glancing icily at the guards who had taken over the watch during the shift change and wondering how the hell someone had got past in the 5 minutes it had taken her to grab a coffee from the machine down the corridor.

"What the…" Sofia watched as arms swarmed over the petite blonde body on the bed, fighting to save the life slipping away from them.

"I'm sorry Ma'am, you need to wait outside." One of the nurses moved towards the doorway, attempting to obscure the taller woman's view.

"Not until someone tells me where my suspect is and how the hell she got here? I saw her being put into a body bag at the scene!" Sofia demanded.

"Detective, we are just as much in the dark as you are right now but our priority has to be to stabilise her and prevent this woman from dying for a second time today!" A doctor hollered, face flushed as he worked furiously on the patient.

Seeing that there was nothing more to be gained from staying in the room, Sofia backed out, crooking her finger at the two officers guarding the entrance to the room. Both followed her a few feet away, looking perplexed and concerned. "I want a report on every person, medical or otherwise, who has come in or out of that room since you two came on duty and I want it within the hour." Both men nodded and stepped away again as Sofia pulled her cellphone out of her pocket and made to leave the ward.

"Vega."

"Please tell me you've not spoken to Samantha Nixon-Masters family yet?" Sofia groaned into the handset.

"Yeah, I informed them about twenty minutes ago. Why? What's wrong?" The other detective queried, feeling his defences rising at the presumed insinuation he had done something wrong.

"I just saw Samantha here at the hospital being worked on. She wasn't in that body bag. I don't know how or who it was that died in that room but Samantha is definitely here." Sofia rubbed at her head, feeling the mother of all headaches moving in.

"Are you absolutely sure? I mean nothing seems to be as it appears with this case, what with people disappearing and now dead people not being dead. How can you be sure this isn't just another case of that bastard manipulating everyone to see what he wants you to see? We both saw the body and we both saw that guy being loaded onto the bus. So which do we believe?" Vega tried to make sense of the situation, his own head spinning.

"Urgh I don't know. But until I can persuade the doctors here to give us a blood sample so we can get something concrete to prove who is lying in that bed, I'm staying. I'll let you know as soon as I know anything but in the meantime, if I get the CCTV film from the hospital sent to you, can you get the lab onto it as a matter of urgency? If this guy has got away from us again, I want to know where he went and how he got out of the hospital. Can you get in touch with the morgue too? If they haven't already started the autopsy on Sam Nixon-Masters, I want them to see who is in that bag as soon as possible. Surely dead people can't manipulate perception of reality or whatever the hell this is!!!" After receiving confirmation, Sofia hung up and went back onto the ward where the mystery patient was being treated.

* * *

"I want to see her. Please, I have to see her!" Jo pleaded with the young officer who had been tasked with returning the grieving family to the hotel. "I won't believe she's gone until I see the body with my own eyes. I can still feel her, how can she be…" Jo's voice trailed off, unable to complete her thoughts vocally for fear of extinguishing the tiny glimmer of hope she clung to that this was all a huge mistake. Her voice was choked with emotion, her eyes watery and bloodshot from lack of sleep and all the tears she had shed. Gone was even the vaguest hint of her usual spark, the vibrancy with which she infected all those around her. In it's place had crept a bone-numbing coldness, which had sunk deeper into her core with each word uttered by Detective Vega. No matter what the heat of the day around her, Jo doubted she would ever feel truly warm again if his words were proved to be true.

* * *

"Agent Scully, there's a phone call for you from Detective Vega. He says it won't wait." The morgue assistant hovered nervously as the flame-haired FBI agent paused her excavation of one of the casualties innards. When the woman indicated she would receive the call, the assistant flipped the switch to activate speakerphone.

"What is it you need Detective? Only I'm a little busy right now!" Scully informed him, her tone brusque and warning.

"Who have you autopsied so far? Which victims?" Vega cut straight to point, not wanting to waste time on small talk either.

"I'm about half way through the first perp. Why?" Scully's interest was piqued, wondering what had occurred now. "Should we expect another body? Did his accomplice not make it?" Scully would not be surprised if the man had perished. The carnage the pair had meted out hardly leant itself to stalwart efforts at life saving when it came to their own lives.

"He's disappeared." Vega struggled to explain what had happened at the hospital.

"And you think he'll come here? I think that's unlikely don't you, given the heavy police presence?" Scully was amused, assuming the Detective feared for their safety.

"No, I think he's long gone by now. But he left someone in his place. I need for you to check out the bodybag with the British bride in it." That ceased Scully's amusement. She snapped off the gloves she had been wearing to perform the autopsy, ordering the confounded assistant to not let the body out of her sight for a single second. Striding out into the corridor which was acting as a holding area for the remaining bodies awaiting autopsy, Dana located the bag labelled 'Samantha Nixon-Masters'. With steady hands, she reached for the zipper and pulled open the bag. Astounded by the face which greeted her, the stoic agent resealed the pouch, checking each of the fatalities brought in as a result of the rescue attempt as much for her own peace of mind as to assure the Detective of the facts.

"It would seem we have been fooled once again Detective Vega. The corpse supposedly belonging to Samantha Nixon-Masters is that of a Caucasian male, approximately forty years of age and wearing the uniform of a paramedic. I think it is safe to assume that he and the British bride are not one and the same person, nor is it feasible that our perception within these walls is being manipulated. How did you know that it was not her in that bag?" Scully filled Vega in on her findings during her foray into the holding area.

"That's who is really in the hospital. And I just told her wife that she was dead!" Scully heard the groan in the seasoned Detective's voice.

"I'm sure they'll be too relieved that she's alive to worry about suing you. Let me know if you find anything else out about how our second perp got away." Scully signalled for the morgue assistant to end the call, turning her attention back to the cadaver currently on her slab.

* * *

Sara walked slowly behind Lindsey as they drew closer to the room in which Catherine was currently lying, recovering from her ordeal. The CSI has heard the true horrors to which the strawberry blonde had been subjected and wondered if she should go in ahead of the young girl. She had heard that physically, Catherine was in remarkably good shape. Psychologically, only time would tell what scars would heal and which would linger.

"Would you mind if I saw Mum alone?" Lindsey asked as she stopped and turned to face her escort outside the ward door.

"Course I don't mind Linds, you take all the time you need. I'll be here to run you back to your Aunts when you're ready." Sara assured the girl, ushering her towards the door.

"She'll want to see you too before we leave, I know she will." Lindsey sounded so sure, Sara couldn't help but smile even as she wondered what the girl knew of her feelings for the other Willows woman.

"We'll see how tired she is, she's had quite a day. You go and show her how much you've missed her and how much you love her. Anything else can wait." Sara smoothed a hand along Lindsey's arm, squeezing her hand slightly as the door to Catherine's room swished open to grant her entrance.

* * *

Catherine heard someone approaching and felt her hackles rising. She just wanted to be left in peace – no more abuse or fighting or being pawed over like some cheap slab of meat. Her head was pounding, her throat felt like someone had forced sandpaper down it and every nerve in her arms and legs were screaming in agony. She squinted through the haze at the figure approaching her bed. At least this one looked smaller, she should be able to resist their advances as she waited for her knight to rescue her. She remembered the incredible night she and Sara had shared, or at least she thought they had but then she woke up in someone else's arms. Try as she might, she couldn't trace where the hours had gone. She knew there was something still clogging up her system, some cocktail she had been fed, recognising the first signs of withdrawal from the bad old days.

"Do whatever you want, just give me another hit first." She managed to slur the words out through parched lips.

"Mum, it's me Lindsey." The young girl was worried by the vacant, yet pained, expression in her mother's eyes.

"Shag me all you like after you give me the god-damned gear." Catherine screamed, the figure before her morphing through numerous faces before settling on an image of her daughter. Tears sprung unbidden to her crystal blue eyes as she cursed her cruel brain for trying to play this trick on her. "I know you're not real, none of this is real. You're just a cowardly man who can't get laid so hides behind drugs and party tricks to get his kicks." Rivulets of salty tears cascaded across alabaster cheeks, matched by those of the young girl Catherine did not believe she was seeing.

Lindsey turned and ran from the room, cannoning into Sara as she burst through the doors.

"Whoa, slow down! Where's the fire?" Upon seeing the distraught state the tiny teen was in, Sara feared Catherine had taken turn for the worse. "What happened Linds? Should I get a doctor to see to your mum?"

"She didn't think I was real! She kept shouting for more drugs and saying none of this is real. Why would she think that Sara? Why would she call me a coward?" The brunette pulled the young girl to her, wondering what damage had been inflicted upon her colleague.

"Let me go talk to her and see what I can find out ok?" Waiting to receive an affirmative nod, Sara settled the youngster into a chair before approaching the room, a sense of trepidation growing within her.

* * *

"Mrs Masters-Nixon, I believe you've been asking to see your wife's body." Detective Curtis motioned for the woman to take a seat. When Vega had confirmed to her that Sam's bodybag had contained the corpse of a male paramedic, she had demanded a blood sample be sent to their lab for confirmation that the patient in room 1143 really was the missing bride. That confirmation had arrived a short time ago and she had chosen to pass on the news herself to the woman's family.

"I need to do it. I can't believe it until I know for sure it's her." Jo implored, fearing that she was about to meet another wave of opposition.

"What I need for you to do right now is to sit down and listen to me, ok? Once you've heard what I'm about to say, I promise I personally will take you to see your wife." Abi moved over to Jo, taking a clammy hand in her own and coaxing her into a chair. Jo clutched on to her, wondering what further torture could be inflicted on them all. Sofia was aware that the two men had remained standing, though the younger of them moved to place a supportive hand on the woman's daughter's shoulder.

"If you're trying to warn us about what a shock it might be seeing a dead body Detective, I think you can save your breath. We're all well aware of how devastating it will be but it is a necessary step I think we all need to take." Phil urged, realising that Jo would never move on without this closure; would always be wondering if it really was her wife she had buried or if it was some stranger and the light of her life was still lost somewhere in this vast country.

"I was at the hotel, when your wife was rescued. I saw her body at the scene, I saw her pronounced dead." Sofia struggled with her words. "I have just come from the hospital where we thought we were guarding one of the men who took Sam. A short while ago, nurses went to check on the patient only to find him gone." A look of outrage flooded all four faces staring at her but she held up a hand to forestall any vehement incriminations. "We did not leave the room unattended at any time and at present, we have no explanation of how it happened but…" Sofia stalled again, desperately hoping this would not be the end of her career. "…the person the nurse found in the hospital room was your wife and not the man who had taken her."

Phil immediately jumped in, "how can you make that kind of mistake? How could you not recognise the difference between Sam and a fella who snatched her?" A vein began to throb dangerously in his neck, a sign of his barely controlled fury.

"What kind of outfit is this? You expect us to believe you can't tell the difference between Sam and a man? What do they teach you at school?" Gary chimed in, shaking his head in disbelief.

"Why should we believe you this time? What if we get to the hospital and find this is another mistake and my mum really is dead?" Abi's plaintive voice was hoarse but with a keening tone, as though she didn't dare hope to believe.

"I realise that you have no reason to trust what I say but believe me, there will be a full investigation into what happened with this case. We are certain that Sam is currently undergoing treatment at the hospital." Sofia explained, her gaze switching to Jo who had yet to speak.

"Is this… are you absolutely sure?" The buxom brunette voiced her contribution, a light returning to her eyes albeit dimly.

"Yes, we've had DNA checks run to be sure. Whatever is going on here, no one can fool science to that extent."

"Take me to her. I knew she hadn't left me." Jo's voice was sure and calm as she rose to her feet. Sofia nodded and led the family out to a waiting car for the short trip to the hospital.

* * *

"Catherine?" Sara's voice was tentative in the quiet room.

"Why can't you just shoot me up and leave me alone?" The feisty woman shouted at the latest interloper.

"Cath, it's me Sara."

"No you're not, you're just trying to trick me into thinking you're Sara so I'll shut up and let you do what you like to my body. You disgust me – first you try using my daughter to silence me and now you're using my feelings for my friend against me too. Just leave me alone." Catherine had tears coursing across her cheeks but Sara was too stunned, both by the outburst and her friend's unintentional revelation, to react. She surmised that the cocktail the other woman had had injected into her must have affected her perception of reality, to the point where she no longer trusted what she saw to be real.

"I'm going to get a doctor to come take a look at you Cath, get them to give you something to make you more comfortable. I'll take Lindsey home with me, we'll work it out between us, your sister and I, until you're back on your feet again." Sara hesitantly approached the bed, wondering if Catherine would try to physically harm her in her confused state. "It really is me Cath. I know you don't trust yourself to believe at the minute but trust that we love you and will be here for you whenever you need us." Sara spoke quietly and tenderly, not reaching out to the frightened woman lying on the bed in an attempt to demonstrate that she was no threat to her physical well being.

"Sara would never tell me she loved me. You're not fooling me any more, Sara tolerates me because we work together, nothing more. I'm not good enough for her." Catherine's eyes were slits as she hissed the words at the figure standing beside her. If only she could find the strength to overcome her pain and pummel the flesh so close to hers.

"You're wrong Cath, you're all I've ever needed and more than I could dare hope to have." This time, Sara did reach out and smoothed a hand over Catherine's strawberry blonde hair, leaning in to place a chaste kiss on her clammy forehead before turning to leave. As she reached the door, Sara steeled herself to face the world, snatching at a tear which escaped from her eye and trickled down her cheek.

* * *

**_So that's the end of another chapter. Hope you enjoyed it but whether you did or you thought it right royally sucked, please feel free to leave a review. I always appreciate your feedback be it good, bad or downright ugly! Thanks._**


	14. Dare to hope?

**_Well so much for getting this online before Christmas!!! Real life has been brutal just recently - 2008 ended badly and so far 2009 has gotten ever worse! All in all, motivation and time have both been unfortunately cut short for the last few months, my energies needed elsewhere. But I'm hoping things are beginning to look a little brighter on the horizon and have finally managed to complete chapter 14 for you all._**

**_As always, I don't belong any characters from CSI or The Bill or X Files, I'm just messing with them for a while for entertainment purposes only. I make no profit and unless you've found a way to get blood out of a stone, I don't reckon there's much point in anyone suing me either!!_**

**_So, sit back, read away and let me know what you think - as always all comments and feedback is gratefully received, be it good bad or downright indifferent, I can take it!_**

* * *

Jo crept into the side room in which her wife was currently resting, fearing even then that it could still all prove to be a grave mistake, that the person in the bed would not really be Sam. She released the breath she did not realise she had been holding as she laid eyes for the first time in 48 hellish hours on the woman she adored with every bone in her body. Even as her elation kicked in, her heart ached at the obvious pain and injuries the blonde woman had endured and prayed to every known deity and saint that she would have the strength to guide Sam back to a health. She stealthily approached the bed, not wishing to disturb the slumbering blonde, pulling the conveniently positioned chair as close to her wife as she could and perching on it. Tentatively, she reached out to hold the fragile hand laid closest to her, part of her still wondering if this could all be real.

"I'm here now Sam. I'm so sorry…" Jo's voice broke as the tears she had refused to shed seeped through her defences, her guilt and sorrow destroying her resolve. She laid her head down on the bed beside Sam's arm, letting the tears flow freely as she re-established a physical connection with her soulmate. Phil watched from outside the doorway as his friend's heart broke, finally allowing a glimmer of hope to enter his mind that Jo might be able to make it through this ordeal. He felt his anger ebbing, realising that what was important now was helping both women to return to as normal a life as could be expected, that the mistakes which had been made would be dealt with through the appropriate channels. Phil allowed a wry grin to grace his face momentarily as he thought how proud Sam would be of his new enlightened approach. He turned away, allowing the pair their privacy, knowing that Jo would not be moving in a hurry.

* * *

Sara stared at the screen, watching as the man they believed to be partly responsible for the carnage and abductions calmly waltzed out of the hospital, unchallenged. Tracing his movements back, they had discovered to their horror that he had indeed been right under their noses the entire time – masquerading as one of the police officers posted on guard duty. The wiry CSI could only surmise that it was his constant presence which had led to all-comers mistakenly believing he was in the bed being guarded – even as she wondered what chemical or physical reaction elicited such a belief, knowing their must be a rational scientific explanation for the phenomena.

There were very few times when Sara truly allowed herself to feel anything towards the perpetrators of the crimes they investigated but this was an exception. Even if Catherine had not been involved, Sara told herself that she had had a vested interest in this case from the beginning, from the first time she had surveyed the initial crime scene and met the two British brides. In the deepest recesses of her mind, if she were truly honest with herself, she would acknowledge that it only became the personal crusade on which she was now intent on embarking when Catherine became so intimately involved. She had made Lindsey a promise as she dropped her off with her Aunt; that she would make sure the man who hurt her mother so badly was never able to ruin any one else's life. It was a promise she intended to keep, even if she had to sacrifice everything to do so. She looked intently into the image frozen on the screen, memorising every detail of the man's face and body, knowing that ultimately it may prove to be useless knowledge but at least once it was all over she could confidently look at the body and know the right man was down.

* * *

Scully moved her shoulders in tight circles, willing the aches and pains to stay at bay until she had completed the necessary paperwork which inevitably came with any case in which she seemed to be involved. She couldn't wait to surrender to Monica's tender ministrations later in their motel room, wondering what her partner was busy doing. As though summoned by a telepathic link, Scully's cell phone chirped into life, the screen displaying her lover's name.

"Scully." The agent barked into the tiny handset, never greeting her lover any differently on the phone than she would any other call, Mulder's words about trusting no one always niggling at the back of her brain.

"It's me babe. How you getting on with the autopsy? You nearly finished?" Monica sat down on the sofa at the crime lab, having spent the remainder of the day reviewing evidence from all the crime scenes with Nick and Warrick.

"I'm getting there now, just got to finish these damned forms and then I'll be able to escape. How's your day gone? You found anything useful?" Dana asked, sitting back for a few moments, her back screaming in agony but also relishing the movement.

"Possibly. We certainly have a plethora of leads to chase up. I just wanted to check if you wanted me to come by and pick you up really." Reyes drew lazy circles with her foot on the dingy carpet tiles as she let her mind drift to how they would spend that evening.

"Yeah, give me another half an hour and I'm all yours." The petite red-haired agent allowed a small smile to briefly spread across her face at the caring tenderness she heard in her lover's voice. "You know you scared me today – you've got some serious making up to do tonight." Scully teased.

"Oh believe me, I'm all up for showing you just how sorry I am for worrying you and how grateful I am to be here to show you!" Monica deliberately notched up the husky tone to her voice, sending shivers of anticipation racing down Dana's spine. Shivers of a different kind overtook her though as she heard the somewhat stealthy approach of someone searching for something in the morgue. She knew that Dr Robbins and his staff had already left, with just one morgue assistant remaining; a young man whom Scully doubted would be able to move stealthily even if his life depended on it.

"Mon, I gotta go, I think I have company." Before Monica could respond, the line went dead as Scully disconnected her phone. Reyes leapt out of her seat, scrabbling in her pocket for her keys.

* * *

Sam floated on a sea of clouds, every sound muffled and yet clear. The aroma which met her emerging senses seemed different, more clean and comforting as though it was familiar, even if she could not identify it. There was a weight resting against her hand, a soft pressure unlike she had become accustomed to. As awareness began to return in greater measure, with it came the pains and a craving stronger than she ever imagined she could experience for the now familiar burn of the chemical concoction she had been introduced to. She tried to shift in the bed, searching for a likely source of relief.

Jo stirred as she felt movement by her head, sitting up as she remembered where she was. "Sam? Sam, it's me sweetheart. It's ok, you're safe now, you're in hospital." Sam eyed the person sat beside her bed as though she was not sure whether to really believe her own eyes. Reading her expression, Jo assured her, "it's ok, it really is me. I'm not even going to begin to say I know or understand what you've been through, but I know that this is real and I know that I love you so much."

Sam beckoned her closer, her expression still a little wary with no small amount of fear there. Jo leaned in slowly and cautiously, not wishing to make her wife any more uncomfortable than she already was. "I need to know, I need to be sure you're real and not some cruel trick of my mind. You promised me something on our wedding night, what was it?"

There was barely a pause before the brunette responded, having replayed the scenes from the wedding over in her mind hundreds of times during Sam's abduction. "I promised you that each and every day of our lives, I would do everything in my power to give you the best orgasm of your life." Jo whispered, her lips tantalisingly close to Sam's own as she repeated their secret vow, a flush spreading across Jo's cheeks as she remembered what she had been doing as she made that promise.

Sam felt a wetness assault her cheeks as she gave in to her desperate need to cry. "I'm really home?"

"Almost baby, almost. We're still in Las Vegas but you're back with the people who love you and need you. Abi, Gary and Phil are here too. You had us all worried you'd deserted us." Jo informed her lover, repeatedly soothing her hand through limp hair stopping occasionally to tenderly brush away the tears from the smooth alabaster cheeks in front of her. The knowledge seemed to make Sam cry all the harder. "Hey, it's ok, it's all going to be ok now. I've got you love, you're safe now."

"Jo, I'm so sorry. I… I…I…" Sam stuttered over her words, trying desperately to explain something she felt was crucially important to her wife but struggling to force the words past her parched lips and the sudden lump in her throat.

"You've nothing to be sorry for, I'm the one who should be sorry. Sorry for letting you down, for not protecting you and for not being the one to rescue you." Jo murmured, wondering what on earth Sam could possibly feel she had to apologise for.

"But I slept with someone else, another woman…" Sam blurted, her eyes darting around wildly in her panic that her lover would desert her.

"Under duress Sam, and under the influence of a whole host of mind-altering drugs! I'm not about to demand a divorce because you were forced into doing something you would never normally have done." Jo attempted to reassure her stricken wife, guiding her face back to Jo's own and holding her gaze.

"But I was convinced it was you – I… she… I came." Sam was sobbing, unable to stem her guilt and disgust at her body's betrayal.

"Oh baby, that doesn't change anything. Your body was tricked as much as your mind was. I know that you would never do something like that normally. I trust you with every ounce of my soul, please sweetheart, trust yourself." Jo recognised the tell-tale signs of withdrawal underlying Sam's distress; the twitching muscles, sweating and the hand which kept straying to one arm, scratching at the skin desperately trying to release something within. "I'm going to pop and get a doctor to come and see if they can make you more comfortable ok sweetheart? I promise I won't let them give you anything you don't want but I hate to see you suffering like this." Jo placed a tender kiss on her wife's forehead, feeling the rise in her temperature against her lips.

"Can I see Abi?" Sam whispered hoarsely, still not quite believing that her daughter could be there.

"Of course you can baby, I'll send her in." Jo smiled lovingly as she exited the door, first inviting Abi to go in before heading off in search of a doctor.

* * *

"Dana? Scully answer me damn it!" Reyes growled into her cell phone as her millionth call was connected directly to her lover's answering service. As she listened to the beep, she tried to keep her voice level and calm. "Dana, babe, it's me… again. I'm worried about you and I'm on my way over so whatever's going on, whoever is there with you, just hang on ok? I'll be with you soon. Call me if you pick this message up before I get there, please?" Ending the call, Monica stepped a little more firmly on the gas, fumbling for a number she had saved to her phone earlier that day.

"Curtis." The call was answered immediately, the abrupt tone startling Reyes who had grown accustomed to her calls going unanswered.

"Detective, this is Special Agent Reyes, we met earlier. I think there may be a problem at the morgue. I was talking to Agent Scully when she heard someone else there with her. I now cannot raise her on her cellphone and no one is answering the direct line to the medical examiner's office." Monica tried to remain clinical as she described the situation to the officer, knowing that if the escaped perp was looking to dispose of his accomplice's remains, there was every likelihood she would need backup. Las Vegas Police Department already knew many of the details and were a lot closer than any Federal support Reyes could summon so she had opted to call Sofia, with whom she had spent much of the day working.

"I'll send some squad cars over and meet you there." Sofia did not need any further confirmation that Monica was indeed already on her way, the squeal of tyres was a dead giveaway. "Try to make it there in one piece Agent Reyes." Sofia intoned with a hint of dry humour.

* * *

Sara snook into Catherine's room on silent feet, knowing it was well past visiting hours and Cath would almost undoubtedly be asleep but needing to sit with her for a while. She approached the bed with equal stealth and caution, settling herself into a chair nearby and looking at the twisted, tormented features of a woman who invaded her dreams by night and thoughts by day.

"No, leave me. I don't want…" Catherine began to murmur in her restless slumber, though Sara could not be sure if they were real memories or images conjured up by her fevered mind which plagued the woman.

"Shhhh, it's ok Cath, you're safe. No one is going to hurt you, not again, I promise." Sara whispered gently as she soothed the creased brow of her colleague. Cath's hand lashed out at the touch leaving Sara grateful for her fast reflexes, having narrowly avoided, at the very least, a black eye for her efforts. Catching the loose appendage between her own hands, Sara continued to softly speak words of comfort to the woman. For what seemed to be an age, Catherine continued to struggle, pulling at her hand where it lay between Sara's own, trying to break free from the grasp. In exasperation, she lunged over onto her side, free hand gripping the back of Sara's neck in a vice-like hold. Blue eyes, now open though wild and unfocused, glared at Sara, who's own startled gaze flicked back and forth between those eyes and the lips so tantalisingly close to her own.

"If I give you what you want, will you let me go?" Catherine spat. To demonstrate that the woman was no longer a prisoner, Sara relinquished her hold on Cath's hand, hoping that she would not regret the show of faith.

"You're free to go any time Cath, as soon as you're strong enough and not withdrawing from the drugs they gave you." Sara told the blonde woman, eyes imploring her to believe that this was reality and not some trick of her mind.

"Prove it." Catherine fired back, the heat from her gaze scorching Sara in it's intensity and sparking blazes in other parts of her body.

"How Catherine? How would you like me to prove to you that this is real? That you're not still trapped in that hellish place with those animals?" Sara spoke softly, her voice cracking as she thought of what her friend, colleague and secret crush had endured.

"Help me out of this bed and take me outside… I need to feel the air on my face." The strawberry blonde seemed desperate to escape the confines of four walls but Sara was unsure she could comply with the woman's request.

"I'll have to check it out with one of the nurses. You really shouldn't be out of bed yet Cath." Sara made to leave, expecting her friend to relinquish the hold on the back of her neck and surprised when the grip merely tightened.

"No, you don't leave this room without me. How do I know which one of you comes back if I can't see you at all times? If you want to speak to a nurse, have them come in here to you. But the Sara I know wouldn't think twice about bending the rules so I guess you're not real at all." Catherine finally let go of the person hovering over her, slumping back onto the bed in defeat.

"Catherine, I know I'm not renowned for always playing by the book but I won't risk your health unnecessarily. I promised your daughter that I would help you – I don't want to have to face Lindsey if I take you outside and you catch pneumonia or something!" Sara implored the stricken woman to believe her, brown eyes boring into crystal blue ones. Tentatively, she reached over and pressed the button which would alert the nurses station that Catherine required attention. Neither woman broke their gaze until the door opened to grant enterance to a stocky olive-skinned woman, whose jet-black hair was braided severely giving her features a pinched expression.

"Ma'am, visiting hours were over a long while ago. I'm afraid I'm going to have to request that you leave now." The nurse addressed Sara whose only response was to glower darkly at the woman. Continuing as though the patient did not have a late night visitor, the nurse bustled about the bed, fussing over Catherine's vital signs and checking her wound. "All looks well Ms Willows, can I get you anything to help you sleep?" Sara stepped in before the older woman could respond.

"This woman has just been subjected to a concoction of drugs which would fell an elephant. She is withdrawing from a dangerous combination of opiates and you are offering her sedatives? What we wanted to know is if it would be safe for Catherine to take some air in the courtyard? If we can get her into a wheelchair, I can take her outside for a few minutes."

"Out of the question," the nurse blurted haughtily. "For a start, I don't know who you are and as I already informed you, visiting hours are over. The only person you will be taking outside is yourself. And secondly, regarding your opinion of our treatment of Ms Willows, may I see your medical degree which qualifies you to know how best to treat this patient?"

"_This patient_ has a name! Her name is Catherine and Catherine has requested to go outside. Catherine has been held captive in a room not dissimilar to this one and subjected to horrors imaginable only in your worst nightmares." Sara repeatedly referred to her friend by name, incensed at the impersonal treatment being meted out. "I am a friend and colleague of Catherine's, I work for the Las Vegas Crime Lab. My name is Sara Sidle. I work nights which means I am unable to visit during normal visiting hours and myself and my other colleagues were granted permission earlier today to visit whenever we could provided that we did not disturb the other patients. Now I will ask again, will it harm Catherine in any way to spend a few minutes outside getting some fresh air if we wrap her up in blankets and she is not out for any considerable length of time?" Sara fumed, pulling herself up to her full height and scowling down on the officious nurse.

"If you do not lower your voice and step away from me, I will call security," was her only response.

"No you won't, not unless you want me to discharge myself against medical advice." Catherine spoke for the first time since the other woman had entered the room having been silently observing the woman who claimed to be Sara. Whilst she was still some way from being certain that all she saw was real, there was no doubt that the fiery brunette defending her right to move about the hospital was the same one she had clashed with numerous times at work. No one, no matter how good at manipulating perception, could imitate Sara's brutal temper to such perfection. Once the nurse had recovered enough to shut her gaping mouth, Catherine asked, "please, just fetch me a wheelchair and some blankets? To know I've really escaped from that place, I need to smell the city and feel the air on my face. I can't trust my eyes to show me what is real right now, I need help believing I'm here." The strawberry blonde implored the woman to take pity on her.

"Hmm, if I do agree to this, I want you both to promise it will only be for a few minutes and I will note it on your records that I vehemently oppose such a course of action." The nurse issued both women with a stern glare, only to be met by two equally determined ones in return. "Fine, I'll get the wheelchair. Be it on your heads if complications arise." The woman was still muttering to herself as she exited the room, leaving Catherine and Sara in stunned silence.

"Ok, so maybe you are Sara after all." Catherine commented, a tiny glimmer of a smile playing around the corners of her mouth and more than a small trace of hope in her eyes.

"I am Cath, I am. I'm the Sara who drives you to distraction at work; the one who Grissom feels the need to keep tabs on when we're working together in case our own blood is spilled when we fight; the one who's been helping Lindsey with her latest school project because you didn't know where to start with what she wanted to do; and the one who let you down by not finding who killed your ex-husband."

"You never let me down Sara. I was angry at Eddie, I was angry at the lack of evidence, I was angry at myself and I took it out on you. I shouldn't have done that. I think the reason we fight so much is because in a lot of ways, we're so similar; we're both immensely passionate about what we do, about finding the perpetrators of crime and bringing them to justice for the sake of the victims. Whilst we might come at it from different places, our goals are the same and I wouldn't have you any other way." Catherine admitted, finally feeling the deepest recesses of her core thawing slightly, allowing her to believe that maybe, just maybe, there was a way back from what had happened.

"We started off from a bad place; I was the interloper questioning not just the integrity of your close friend but of the lab as a whole. Worse than that, I was Grissom's choice. I get that that left all of you feeling uneasy around me and let's face it, women can be the biggest bitches going when we want to be. I didn't make it easy for you to like me but I'm really glad that in the last few months we've got past all that. Cath, I like you, as a friend, as colleague, as a person. I want to be here for you, help you get back on your feet, if you'll let me?" Sara enquired, hoping she wasn't expecting too much too soon.

"You think you can help me do you, Sidle?" Catherine teased, becoming more and more convinced that it really was her Sara she was talking to and not some figment of her imagination.

"Even if all I do is keep Lindsey from asking you about mathematical equations and science projects, yeah I reckon I can." Sara replied earnestly.

"I can't promise I'll make it easy for you. I don't know how this is going to pan out, but I'd really like to know that there's someone there looking out for me." Catherine admitted shyly, picking at imaginary lint fluff on her bedsheets.

"None of us know how your recovery will go Cath but I will be there, looking out for you every step of the way, no matter how hard it gets or how many times you try to push me away." Sara assured her friend, stepping towards her and reaching out a hand. Catherine's own was shaking, her palm clammy as she took the brunette's hand in hers, heart racing as sudden irrational fears confronted her. The gentle soothing stroke of a thumb across the back of her hand saw her terror ebb slightly. "I'll never knowingly do anything to hurt you and if ever at any time, anything I do makes you feel uncomfortable, I want you to promise me that you'll tell me straight away. The only priority here is you, what you feel able to cope with and what will help you to heal and move on from this." Sara murmured, reading the tension in the older woman's shoulders. The nurse chose that moment to return with a colleague, a wheel chair and numerous blankets, asking Sara to wait outside whilst they transferred Catherine into the chair. Reluctantly, the two women severed their physical connection and Sara stepped from the room with a sigh of relief.

* * *

Scully groaned as she heard more footsteps approaching. Curling herself into a tighter ball than she already was huddled in, she awaited the next onslaught of beating.

"Dana!?" Monica reached out towards her cowering lover as she skidded along the floor on her knees, heedless of the friction burns to her legs. "Dana, honey, what happened? Are you ok?"

Scully's head snapped up at the sound of the familiar voice of her partner. "Monica?" She asked, as if not really believing it to be real. Seeing the immediate concern flooding the warm, soulful eyes assessing her, Scully was quick to reassure her lover, "I'm fine. A bit bruised but nothing worse than that."

"Who did this?" More footsteps approached and Dana froze, fearing that the men had returned but seeing only Las Vegas PD officers sealing off the area.

"I don't know who they were or for whom they are working but I intend to find out. They took the body and all my notes. Everything to do with the 'disappearing' man is gone." Scully replied finally.


End file.
